Paris protests

[papasmurf]

Looks like the french haven't given their sapeurs-pompieres the status in what I suppose we now call homeland security our own firemen have here ...

I can only compare the fire brigade here in rural Cornwall to where I holiday in rural Brittany.



Here in rural Cornwall more or less 100% retained firemen/women and badly equipped. There is also a shortage of staff.

Where I go in Brittany there are 40 volunteer staff plus 40 young trainees in the small town

They have an incredible amount of kit, as they cover medical emergencies, and inshore lifeboat.

There are also just the immediate response until the main fire brigade arrives if needed from 25 miles away.

[johnofgwent]

Interesting.



As the London ambulance service paramedic responsible for a fascinating blog blood sweat and tea revealed, the police and the fire service in this country have access to home office records of domestic violence so THEY know en route the house they are rushing to needed SWAT last week to take down a knife wielding angry resident, but the ambulance service are not inside that set of permissions and the first they know of such is when the still irate, newly released from custody cell mad knife wielder attacks them from the shadows.



Looks like the french haven't given their sapeurs-pompieres the status in what I suppose we now call homeland security our own firemen have here ...

[papasmurf]

Is the row still about pensions or has it escalated to Government in general? The French don't seem to like government most of the time and fighting in the streets has always been their rebellion of choice. Let's face it they will really kick off after Friday and when the trade talks start and we (hopefully) dig our heels in over fishing rights. Macron, for all his acting skills (Blair comes to mind) seems to have upset them all. He's more hot air and posing than statesman. I wonder how many ladies have taken up knitting.

Report from France 24:-



More at link:-



https://www.france24.com/en/20200128-french-firefighters-demand-better-conditions-in-fiery-paris-protest">https://www.france24.com/en/20200128-fr ... is-protest">https://www.france24.com/en/20200128-french-firefighters-demand-better-conditions-in-fiery-paris-protest



The firefighters want a special salary premium that acknowledges the risks of their job to be brought in line with that of the police, staff levels maintained, and the preservation of their existing pension system.

"We are the final link in the chain of emergency aid in France and we are overwhelmed by callouts," said Frederic Perrin, head of the SPASDIS-CFTC union.

"We need the staffing and means to respond to this and also a guarantee that we can concentrate on our core missions, emergency response, and not serve as a supplement to absent health services," he told AFP.

[T00ts]

There's a video doing the rounds of fire service personnel fighting with riot police during the protests. I remember similar scenes in Spain in Cataluña.

I wonder how democratic governments manage to get the anger of the people to rise so high that the emergency services are pitched against each other in battle.

The French government have failed to quell these protests. Recently a man lost a hand due to them using ammunition which was supposed to be a 40mm defensive bullet.

The protesters are not going away. What is the solution, for Macron to go?

Is the row still about pensions or has it escalated to Government in general? The French don't seem to like government most of the time and fighting in the streets has always been their rebellion of choice. Let's face it they will really kick off after Friday and when the trade talks start and we (hopefully) dig our heels in over fishing rights. Macron, for all his acting skills (Blair comes to mind) seems to have upset them all. He's more hot air and posing than statesman. I wonder how many ladies have taken up knitting.

[Barry]

There's a video doing the rounds of fire service personnel fighting with riot police during the protests. I remember similar scenes in Spain in Cataluña.

I wonder how democratic governments manage to get the anger of the people to rise so high that the emergency services are pitched against each other in battle.

The French government have failed to quell these protests. Recently a man lost a hand due to them using ammunition which was supposed to be a 40mm defensive bullet.

The protesters are not going away. What is the solution, for Macron to go?