 | Home > Off Topic > Monsieur Le President |
 
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5878   
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Mr Macron is visiting our beautiful little town in just over an hour’s time, and I’ve been observing the security operation surrounding this visit. Conservatively I have seen 20+ Gendarmerie vans (people carriers, not cars) and a similar number of PN CRS (riot police) vans. Plus assorted odds and sods of Ops rooms, small Gendarmerie Kangoos etc. Further, I passed Three roundabouts, each with at least 10 Gendarmes on them, fully ‘tooled-up’, and at least the same number again covering various junctions, plus probably 100 patrolling in various sized packets. Finally, a handful of others dotted about throughout the town. 40 vans, 200 Gendarmes, and that doesn’t even include the fleet of bikes/cars that will no doubt accompany him on his arrival, or those at the Bettex slopes where he is due to have lunch. I’d think Mountain Troops on skis. Heard a couple of fighter jets for good measure, although not sure what they would achieve during any incidence.
Observations: 1. That’s a lot of muscle 2. I don’t remember that amount of muscle being deployed during any visit by a British PM and most certainly not a Royal (couple of Five-0 on bikes and a protection officer or two in a RR). 3. Do not try and assassinate the French Pres unless you don’t plan to come out alive Anyway, gonna pop down at 1700h to say hello and ask why he’s so nasty about the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.  Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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13th Feb 2020 10:44am |
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| o4dn Member Since: 08 Jan 2010 Location: South West Posts: 555 
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And all that to promote ecology and further reduction of CO2 emissions!  “A Land Rover immobilized is a moral defeat for the driver and bad publicity for the vehicle, […] it's up to you to do justice to your Land Rover!” - Land Rover Driving Technique.
-- 2009 2.4 Puma Defender 90 SW 1979 Land Rover Series 3 88" |
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13th Feb 2020 11:23am |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5878
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O4dn, good point well made.
Yes, the security is very ‘American’. But then the French have a far feistier (and recent) history of violent demonstrations and attacks (assassination attempts) against their illustrious leaders. And that’s not to mention the terror threat. But I think (hope) the agenda and town size means it’s too ‘low-key’ for any fundamentalist to take a punt. Having said that, at least said fundamentalist would have a legitimate reason for wearing a heavy coat and shaking....unlike in London in mid-July Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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13th Feb 2020 11:50am |
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| markb110 Member Since: 22 May 2010 Location: Guildford Posts: 2655  
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Hello Grenadier
Now don’t forget to leave your Hi Vis at home or you may become an ex Grenadier. |
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13th Feb 2020 12:30pm |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5878
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I’m going to set up an XR blog blockade on the viaduct. I've put it out to my mates but so far no takers. I've assured them the CRS's reputation is entirely wrong and the reason they're all sporting Shields, robocop body armour and respirators does not immediately mean they are looking for trouble. Honest.
Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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13th Feb 2020 12:40pm |
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| AMBxx Member Since: 24 Jul 2016 Location: York Posts: 1043  
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Less to do with importance, more to do with ego... |
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13th Feb 2020 3:55pm |
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| RFT Member Since: 13 Nov 2010 Location: Cheshire Posts: 686 
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Genadier,
My ill informed perspective is: You are living in a police state, the French Republic has been held together by paramilitary forces for years! The complete absence of reporting in the main stream media of the thuggery of the French authorities recently is indicative of the controls that are in place over the media and those that possibly may not agree with the authorities. Vive la republique! 130 Puma HCPU with an Artica 240LR Demountable Camper |
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13th Feb 2020 4:12pm |
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| Zed Member Since: 07 Oct 2017 Location: In the woods Posts: 3348 
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French specialist old Bill are savage. RAID, GIGN, BRI etc have more in common with our military Special Forces than the Police.
CRS don't play around either. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/...es-victims WARNING. This post may contain sarcasm. |
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13th Feb 2020 4:28pm |
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| ericvv Member Since: 02 Jun 2011 Location: Near the Jet d'Eau Posts: 5816  
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Is he really? Never noticed that. 
Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation. http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I https://vimeo.com/201482507 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw |
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13th Feb 2020 8:42pm |
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| Slideywindows Member Since: 09 Sep 2016 Location: North Essex Posts: 1294
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Ah, the CRS - those nice French riot Police.
Back in 1970 I parked my Series One in the hills above St Tropez and tried to break into a Pink Floyd gig, held in a natural amphitheatre in the rocks. The CRS did not like long haired "hippy" students, due to people who looked like me me ripping up the streets of Paris in May 1968 and chucking street furniture and cobblestones at them. Hence they rather enthusiastically threw me and my friend down the hill. Three times! (But we sneaked in eventually. )
On the sea wall at Le Lavandou, the young had painted: "Aujourd'hui CRS. Demain SS!" Has it now happened??? |
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13th Feb 2020 9:04pm |
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| Grenadier Member Since: 23 Jul 2014 Location: The foot of Mont Blanc... Posts: 5878
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Popped down to see what all the hoo-ha was about and by the time the wee man arrived, (I can say that with authority as I’m a wee-man as well), the number of police/UC police/riot police had exploded. Running about, talking into mics on their wrists, looking anonymous, looking heavy. For someone who spent time in the forces, and worked alongside the Police in various planning ops for VIP/Royal visits and crowd control, I have never seen such overkill. I was passing the Mairie to the shops and noted the officer carrying the nuclear briefcase leave and get into a car, a precursor to the president leaving, so hung about (very few crowds because of pouring rain), and minutes later he popped out. In that small area there must have been 30 CRS, 20 Gendarmes, Municipal Police, and 20+ UC Police/Secret Service.
And Slideywindows (lucky man, Pink Floyd in Nice), Zed and RFT, you’re absolutely right, the more specialist units of the French police (as well as the National Police and Gendarmes) do things very, very differently to ours, to put it mildly. Thuggery is common place. France is very ‘para-military’ in how it goes about things, much like the US. It may be Socialist in its outlook and laws, but it is right wing in its control and application of those laws. In fact it’s something I also noticed when I trained alongside their army on a couple of occasions, very much in the image of the US military. Lots of indoctrination, assimilation, one-way, top-down thinking. Identical grade-1 haircuts, no-one allowed to think for themselves, all very serious (angry). Very good soldiers, but a completely different vibe to the British Armed Forces. I love living here, but sometimes it makes me pretty angry when right-on urbanites in the UK bleat about the new right-wing government, about intolerance, racism, bigotry, inequality, sexism etc in the UK. Clearly there is all of that, the nature of human beings means that there always will be, just by laws of averages, and no less so when you jam 65m on to a little island. But the problems are in the minority, the UK (as far as people are concerned) is a great place. If you want to see genuine, wide-spread racism, sexism, misogyny, ignorance towards disability, state control, violent police, inequality, green-eyed envy, etc, come to France. And then head to the rest of Europe. Again, it’s not everywhere, but it’s more widespread and people are more happy to wear it on their sleeve. I’ve experienced it as an Englishman living here (car keyed, assumptions made, shouted at etc), and you hear about it. Our Mayor, for example (someone I rate as being very very good at his job and great for our fabulous little town) had his house burnt down when he first took office 8 years ago, because he’s openly gay. Wow. Can you ever see that happening in the UK. I’m lucky to have travelled widely, and I maintain that the UK (whilst by no means perfect) is the most welcoming, most tolerant and most peaceful nation on the planet. Hands down. I can’t live there because it is too crowded and the weather gets me down, and if it has one failing (because we are too nice, so our police are too nice) is our levels of urban anti-social behaviour. But as people, (pragmatic, open-minded, welcoming, humorous, generous, intelligent, pioneering), we are up there with the best of them, if not at the very top. That should never be confused with individuals and small groups of a***holes, bigots, racists, homophobes etc, but they are in the minority and do not speak for the majority. Unfortunately they have a disproportionately loud voice, amplified by SM, but certain politicians and journalists should stop tarring the people and portraying the country as a hotbed of nastiness, because it’s not. Look at the rest of the world if you want to see what that really is like. Wow, sorry. Politics at 0800 in the morning... Monsieur Le Grenadier
I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list..... 2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey |
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14th Feb 2020 7:06am |
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| Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 921 
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England is still lovely. Move to Rutland if you don't like crowds. I would, but unfortunately, its only failing, there's nowhere for our narrow boat...!
Thinking of being serious, I remember reading a description of one Second World War US Admiral by his daughter. He was totally even tempered - ALWAYS angry! |
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14th Feb 2020 9:16am |
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| o4dn Member Since: 08 Jan 2010 Location: South West Posts: 555
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For what it's worth, I'm French, I lived in the UK for some time, and my perception might be slightly different. “A Land Rover immobilized is a moral defeat for the driver and bad publicity for the vehicle, […] it's up to you to do justice to your Land Rover!” - Land Rover Driving Technique. -- 2009 2.4 Puma Defender 90 SW 1979 Land Rover Series 3 88" |
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14th Feb 2020 9:24am |
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| Supacat Member Since: 16 Oct 2012 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 11018 
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I think you have to walk a little way in the shoes of an immigrant, a person in some form of minority, or with a disability to see what is normally invisible to us all.
If you ever have had to, it can be very sobering, disillusioning, and shameful in equal measures.  |
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14th Feb 2020 6:25pm |
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