Earlier this year Mediapart reported how a 19-year-old woman had her skull fractured by police in Marseille, southern France, as she lay on the ground during a day of demonstrations. The same investigation has now revealed the existence of a new hybrid police unit that was created to take on the so-called 'gilets jaunes' or 'yellow vest' protestors in France. These officers were not trained in public order policing yet the initiative was backed by a memo from the Ministry of the Interior and superior officers who considered that in a time of “war” anything and everything is permissible. Pascale Pascariello reports.
It was around 6.40pm on December 8th 2018 and at the corner of an alley in the centre of Marseille around a dozen armed men, dressed in black and wearing helmets and masks, were kicking and hitting a young woman with batons as she lay on the ground, fracturing her skull. One of the attackers said: “You want some more?” (see video here).
