Dozens of demonstrators and 47 gendarmes injured. Last Saturday, the demonstration against the mega-basins in Sainte-Soline quickly degenerated. Since then, many controversies have erupted, on the assistance of the injured or police violence, and in particular the use of LBD.
Guest of the Grand Rendez-vous d’Europe 1 / CNews / Les Échos, the Minister of the Interior and Overseas Gérald Darmanin returned to these scenes of violence in Sainte-Soline. After returning to the controversy over the use of LBDs by the gendarmes, Gérald Darmanin affirmed that “weapons of war were used yes, but by the thugs”.
“I have nothing to hide”
Asked about the use of LBDs by gendarmes, the Minister of the Interior confirmed that “that day, in Sainte-Soline, orders were given not to fire LBDs. There were two shots of LBD, as soon as I found out, I made it public. The gendarmes know the sanctions and disciplinary investigations are open, in particular by the General Inspectorate of the National Gendarmerie (IGGN). I have nothing to hide “, he said at the microphone of the Grand Rendez-vous.
“I want to say once again that if these two gendarmes fired LBDs when the orders were not that, they are suspended but that does not put the whole of the national gendarmerie in the accusation of having been violent. “
“If the Greens and France Insoumise come to power, will they accept that everyone makes their own law?”
For the Minister of the Interior, “it was the thugs who were violent. The weapons of war were used yes, but by the thugs. The gendarmes do not have Molotov cocktails, explosives, mortar fire …”, he insisted.
“That we are not able to condemn the violence against the gendarmes, especially when we come from so-called pacifist movements, it is something serious in the Republic”, added Gérald Darmanin, targeting in particular the deputies of Nupes . “If the end justifies the means, if we do not respect court decisions, what democracy will we live in tomorrow? So if the Greens and France Insoumise come to power, will they accept that everyone makes their own law? It’s that means: that each cause that we personally think is more important, whatever the court decisions, whatever the law, we are able to impose it on others”, concluded the Minister of Interior.