Yellow vests: 4570 people placed in police custody in one month, a sad record











The yellow vest movement is breaking all records in terms of the number of arrests, people brought to justice and firm prison sentences. While the arrest and detention of Eric Drouet, one of the movement’s leaders, on 2 January was widely publicised, far from the cameras, detentions and sanctions are raining. In one month, from 17 November to 17 December 2018, 4570 people were taken into police custody (1567 in Paris and 3003 in the regions), according to figures from the Ministry of Justice revealed by RTL on 3 December. 697 immediate appearances have already taken place, while 825 cases have been closed without further action[1].

In Paris, out of 214 immediate appearances, 26 firm prison sentences were handed down with a warrant of arrest, which means that the convicted persons were directly imprisoned. In the other regions, 483 immediate appearances with 190 warrants of committal were recorded[2]. Hundreds of hearings are still scheduled in the coming weeks.





In Valencia, firm prison sentences “for example”?

Among those sentenced to prison terms is videographer Stéphane Trouille. He was arrested, along with three other people during the mobilisation of the yellow vests in Valencia on 8 December, on charges of “violence in meetings against a person holding public authority”. All four claim not to know each other and have a clean criminal record. Before the trial, Basta had relayed the testimony of their families. On 26 December, the verdict was handed down: Stéphane Trouille was sentenced to 18 months in prison, six of which were suspended. The other three were respectively sentenced to twelve months, six of which were suspended for Tom, ten months, six of which were suspended for Dylan, and nine months, six of which were suspended for Maria. All four are banned from demonstrating for three years.

What do we blame the defendants for? As reported in the January 2 edition of Le Canard Enchainé, “as a man belts a demonstrator on the ground, yellow vests gather. An individual stands in the way. They intervene, exchange a few blows with the two without a vest. Bad luck, they were two plainclothes cops! The one who is ashore is the departmental director and the other is his driver. Were their “police” armbands visible? On the video shown at the hearing, it’s hardly obvious. »

In a letter made public the day after the judgment, Stéphane Trouille wrote: “During this whole scene, which lasts about 22 seconds, I never heard the police officers identify themselves and I never saw their armband, at the very least discreet and difficult to detect. So YES, I did use violence on an individual, to protect yellow vests, to scare away people I had identified as aggressors. No, I didn’t, we didn’t “break the cop”, “puff the cop”, “fuck the cop”, as the media has been pounding him since the judgment was rendered, largely using the prosecutor’s dramatic words. »

Stéphane Trouille, one of the convicts, appeals against his decision

As for Maria, a communist activist from the Drôme, she is accused of seizing the Commissioner’s hat. According to Humanity, it did, it defended itself, in order to “divert its attention so that it does not pull out its weapon”. “I’ve never hit anyone before. “According to his lawyer, the “national context” has “played” in these heavy sentences. As the chained Duck notes, the prosecutor has also made connections with scenes of violence seen in Paris.

As a reminder, the Minister of Justice sent prosecutors a circular, dated November 22, “concerning the judicial treatment of offences committed in connection with the protest movement “known as the Yellow Vests””. In particular, it is proposed to increase the sentences imposed by adding the “prohibition to participate in demonstrations on the public highway[…] for a period not exceeding 3 years”. Instructions of great firmness that seem to have been followed to the letter by the Tribunal de Grande Instance de la Drôme.

Stéphane Trouille has decided to appeal the decision, which he considers “completely disproportionate to the real facts, taking no account of the defence’s pleadings despite four hours of hearings. It is difficult not to consider it as a sanction for example, to stifle the current fervour and challenges against the state and the policies pursued by the government,” he deplores[3]. Pending this trial, a festival in support of the four defendants from Valencia is scheduled from 11 to 13 January in Saillans (more information here). As for Eric Drouet, he will be tried on 15 February for “organizing a demonstration without a declaration”. He faces a penalty of up to six months’ imprisonment and a fine of 7,500 euros.



