To great evils, great means. To counter the violence that enlivens Guadeloupe, shaken for more than a week by a general strike fueled by numerous demands, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin appealed, Saturday, November 20, to the police and gendarmes of the units of elite specialized in the fight against terrorism and the management of “Extreme crises”, the Raid and the GIGN.
Objective: meet the ” disorder “, and deal with escalated violence with “Live ammunition against law enforcement officers”, observed several nights in a row. Is this shipment of reinforcements linked to the theft of weapons of war and ammunition, on November 19, in the premises of the customs of Pointe-à-Pitre, revealed on Monday 22 by Guadeloupe the 1re ? Asked, the Ministry of the Interior did not respond.
The 50 agents from mainland France are added to the dozens of agents from the local Raid and GIGN branches in Guadeloupe. In this case, does bringing in these specialized units represent a change in doctrine? “This has been done for several years, answers Frédéric Le Louette, president of the association of gendarmes GendXXI, but the politician communicates perhaps more than before. “ Their role, on site, is “To ensure the protection of personalities and prevent attacks on sensitive buildings”, continues the non-commissioned officer. They also carry out the most perilous operations.
In addition to these elite units, reinforcements in traditional policing were also sent. Two hundred police officers and gendarmes projected on November 19, for a total on site of 2,250 agents under the orders of the regional prefect, supported in the air by a helicopter, and on the ground by armored vehicles. Their mission: to break down the barricades, clear the tracks and occupy the land, to avoid the paralysis of the archipelago’s traffic axes.
« There is enormous danger there, Judge Cédric Boyer, representative of the Alliance-police union overseas. Weapons have been circulating for years with drug trafficking. And the curfew does not turn back thugs, looters, and other dangerous individuals. “ The trade unionist pleads for a “Structural policy” rather than “Occasional reinforcements”, composed of police officers “Who do not necessarily know the topography of the places”.
The night from Monday to Tuesday was ” calmer “, notes the prefecture of Guadeloupe Tuesday, November 23, even if police and gendarmes were again the target of gunfire. In Martinique, police and firefighters also came under fire during the night. For the time being, no police reinforcement has been announced for Martinique: “This is not yet the case, because the situation is under control”, answers the prefecture of Martinique, in the middle of the afternoon Tuesday.
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