Protest policing in France criticized

Police handling of recent pension protests in France has drawn heavy criticism, as reported here. One expert describes the approach taken by police as “an escalation doctrine” and a human rights activist asserts “We have forgotten that the police are a public service that is there to protect the exercise of freedoms, which means protecting demonstrators. Instead, in the French version of maintaining public order, the crowds are seen as hostile, almost as enemies.” In contrast, other EU countries follow a strategy of communication and deescalation when dealing with crowds and protests.