17 investigations opened at the IGPN since the start of the protests

The General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN) has been seized of 17 judicial investigations since the first national day of mobilization against the pension reform in January, its director announced on Sunday March 26. “Since January 19 (…) we have had 17 legal proceedings”declared on BFMTV Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre, specifying that “this figure is by definition scalable”.

On Friday, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin revealed that eleven IGPN investigations had opened “for a week”. This therefore signals a recent acceleration of referrals, particularly since March 16 and the start of wild demonstrations in Paris and in several regions, in reaction to the use of Article 49.3 of the Constitution to have the reform adopted.

“Destructive” abuse

“There has been a change in nature, particularly radicalized individuals who were not on the first national days of action”argued the head of the IGPN. “De facto, this change of nature, this change of atmosphere, this radicalization, we find it in our referrals”added the magistrate by training.

>> Recording of Brav-M police officers: what we know about the arrest during which demonstrators were insulted and threatened

Regarding the threatening and humiliating remarks by police officers, attributed to members of the decried BRAV-M unit, towards young demonstrators and revealed in an audio recording, Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre said “as a citizen, terribly shocked”. “These abuses are destructive for the National Police institution” And “casts opprobrium on all the other services and field police who are exemplary”, she regretted. An administrative inquiry, on referral from the prefect of police Laurent Nuñez, and a judicial inquiry, after a report sent to the Paris prosecutor’s office on Saturday, were opened to the IGPN on this case.