Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

POLICE

Battle of the kitties: Exhausted French police versus injured yellow vests

A fund to raise money for the French police officers who have been injured during the "yellow vest" protests has just passed the €1 million mark. But a competing fund for gilets jaunes who have been injured in the demonstrations has also been launched. *French language learner article*

Published: 10 January 2019 17:25 CET
Battle of the kitties: Exhausted French police versus injured yellow vests
Photo: AFP
*This is a French language learner article. The words in bold are translated into French at the bottom of the article.
 
The kitty or fund for the French police force on the Leetchi fundraising website hit the €1 million mark on Thursday after receiving 36,000 donations. 
 
On Twitter, the national police account thanked internet users for their generosity, but called for their “daily support” and their “civic spirit” rather than giving money to a fund when they have “no guarantee” how it will be used.
 
The initiative came from French politician Renaud Muselier from the right wing Les Republicains party as a response to the fundraising campaign launched to support Christophe Dettinger, the former pro-boxer who was caught on video assaulting police officers at Saturday's protests in Paris. 
 
That fund raised €117,000 before it was closed by Leetchi on Tuesday morning. 
 
READ ALSO:

Q&A on France's yellow vests: Why are they still protesting and who is to blame for the violence?Photo: AFP

According to a spokesman for Renaud Muselier, who is the President of the Regional Council of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, the money will be donated to the National Police association which will distribute the cash between the wounded members of the police force. 
 
“I am pleasantly surprised, it proves that there are many people in this country who do not condone acts of violence,” Muselier told the French press, adding that the average donation was €27.
 
But the battle of the kitties doesn't end there. 
 
On Wednesday night a third fund was created by one of the controversial leaders of the gilet jaunes Eric Drouet on PayPal to help “yellow vests” who have been injured in the protests.  
 
“Official fund for the wounded 'yellow vests' of France!! All the people who say they support the cause of the gilets jaunes, especially the one who are media-friendly are invited to participate to prove their sincerity!!”, Drouet wrote on Facebook.
 
At the time of writing (Thursday 5pm) €79,220 had been raised for the injured gilets jaunes.
 
Drouet was arrested for a second time on January 3rd for organising a central Paris protest without declaring it, causing widespread outrage on the part of supporters of the “yellow vest” movement. 
 
Language learning
 
Kitty, pool, fund – une cagnotte 
Police force – les forces de l'ordre
To hit – atteindre
Donation –  un don
money – l'argent
Daily support – soutien quotidien
Civic spirit – esprit civique
Police officer – policier, policière
Protest – une manifestation
To wound – blesser
To raise (money) – récolter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

POLICE

READER QUESTION: What powers do police have on the street in Denmark?

Police in Denmark can only stop and search members of the public without cause under special circumstances. What are the rules that apply?

Published: 9 September 2024 17:38 CEST
READER QUESTION: What powers do police have on the street in Denmark?

Copenhagen Police said last week that they had confiscated more than 20 knives in just under a month as a result of around 830 people being checked for weapons in special visitationszoner or “stop-and-search” zones.

Denmark’s laws allow these zones to be established by law authorities for a limited period in response to violent crime. They mean police officers can stop people on the streets or in cars and check if they are carrying weapons without having to give any cause.

READ ALSO: Danish police search 830 people in Copenhagen in less than a month

The Local was contacted by a reader who asked what police “may and may not do” in Denmark.

“For example, can they ask for ID, question you on the street, search you? Can people video in a public place?”, they wrote.

Asking for ID

Police don’t have the right to demand ID, but can ask for your name, address and date of birth, in accordance with paragraph 750 of Denmark’s Retsplejeloven or policing laws. You do not have to give your full CPR (personal registration) number if you have one, although you might be asked for it and see no reason not to give it.

If someone refuses to provide this basic information to the police or provides false information, they can be fined or punished.

It’s worth noting, though, that foreign residents of Denmark who have an opholdskort or residence card are technically required to carry it with them at all times.

READ ALSO: Can you travel in and out of Denmark if you lose your residence card?

The police can question members of the public, but individuals are not required to provide any statements, and no force can be used to compel someone to speak or answer questions. 

Searching

Police can search a person or their vehicle if they have “reasonable suspicion” that the person may have broken the law. They can only conduct a search without any cause if they are in a designated search area (visitationszone) as described above.

In non-visitationszoner, police need reasonable grounds to conduct a search. This can include visible illegal activity, smell of drugs, acting suspiciously or being in a location where drugs or weapons are known to be circulating.

Police may also search your vehicle if they suspect it contains illegal items, such as weapons or drugs, or if the vehicle is involved in a crime.

Detainment

Police in Denmark have the authority to detain individuals for questioning if they suspect the person has committed a crime. Detention without formal charges must be reviewed by a court (known as a grundlovsforhør) within 24 hours.

Police can issue on-the-spot fines for minor offences such as traffic violations and public disturbances, but must follow up with court procedure for serious matters.

All searches conducted by police must be recorded, as must preliminary charges (termed sigtelser), which mean you are under police suspicion. These preliminary charges, which police can give if they have “reasonable grounds” to suspect you have broken the law, enable them to carry out a search as described above.

You are not obliged by law to respond to police questions during these initial searches and proceedings. Once arrested, the police must inform you of your rights, which include the right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer.

Police must record searches and initial charges including the time and circumstances of the interaction, allowing a member of the public to later file a complaint if they believe police did not act correctly.

Video recording in public spaces

Members of the public have the right to film or photograph in public spaces, including police officers, as long as they do not interfere with police work. Denmark does not have laws that prohibit filming law enforcement as long as the filming does not obstruct the officers in their duties.

If police deem that filming obstructs their work or invades the privacy of others, they can ask individuals to stop. Recording police actions from a distance without interference should generally be allowed.

In 2021, Copenhagen Police commented after media reported, based on video evidence, that some officers had threatened members of the public with being arrested if they filmed them.

“Based on the recordings presented to us, we have decided to clarify the rules on this area to all employees. As a starting point, there is no basis for charging a person who is passively filming… a police officer on duty,” Copenhagen Police told newspaper Berlingske.

Complaints

Members of the public can file complaints with the independent Police Complaints Authority (Den Uafhængige Politiklagemyndighed) if they believe the police have misused their power or acted unlawfully. You should provide a case number when filing the complaint, if you have one.

Complaints can also be filed at local police stations.

As a member of the public, you have the right to complain about both the conduct of the police and the basis on which they took their decisions – meaning, for example, how they may have justified carrying out a search. In the later case, the complaint may mean you believe a police officer has broken the law.

The Police Complaints Authority handles the case differently depending on whether it relates to a conduct issue or a potential criminal act.

Are there any further questions relating to this article you’d like us to answer? Let us know in the comments.

SHOW COMMENTS