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BS: Riot police threaten strike action.

22 Apr 11 - 06:55 AM (#3140224)
Subject: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)

French riot police have threatened to strike over an alcohol ban.

The CRS (Republican Security Companies), which made its name quelling student demonstrators during nationwide disturbances in 1968, has always enjoyed a glass of beer or wine with its meals.

However, following photos of riot police drinking bottles of beer and wine during Paris street protest, police chiefs have decided to put an end to the tradition. They were wearing body armour and carrying weapons as they sipped from beer and wine bottles and smoked.

Didier Mangione, national secretary of the police union, said bosses were "trying to turn us into priests, but without the altar wine".
"Nobody should object to them having a drink on the job," he said.


While British police are strictly barred from drinking on duty, the French have traditionally been allowed to drink wine and beer.

It was normally served on an official tray and sometimes eaten in full view of the public, often outside riot-control vans.

They are often seen bracing themselves for action on the streets of major cities like Paris, Marseilles and Lyon.
Whenever a riot is threatened,it is invariably the CRS who are called to mobilise.

Their union is making a formal appeal against the new rules to the police authority.


22 Apr 11 - 09:00 AM (#3140282)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: gnu

Let them drink coke.


22 Apr 11 - 11:07 AM (#3140362)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,999

The point of this thread is what (qm)


22 Apr 11 - 11:28 AM (#3140373)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)

Try reading the title of the thread slowly, it informs us that the riot police in France intend to strike because they are not allowed to drink on duty. Most people get the grasp of reading, you should try it.


22 Apr 11 - 12:20 PM (#3140390)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: goatfell

well you did asked.


22 Apr 11 - 12:23 PM (#3140393)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: goatfell

I can understand it, w2hy can't you?


22 Apr 11 - 12:26 PM (#3140397)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: goatfell

can you read?


22 Apr 11 - 12:30 PM (#3140401)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,Eliza

In my opinion, Police anywhere shouldn't be drinking alcohol while on duty. In fact, nobody should be drinking alcohol while working, as it clouds the judgement and reduces response time. Can people not abstain for a few hours?

Love 'Let them drink Coke' gnu. LOL!

PS Why must we have F*** etc and aggressive rudeness? Is it strictly necessary? Perhaps the hot weather is making folk a bit touchy.


22 Apr 11 - 12:48 PM (#3140412)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: goatfell

I agree with you


22 Apr 11 - 12:55 PM (#3140415)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Ebbie

Mem>sheesh Guest/999 asked/implied a legitimate question. What is the actual point of this thread? Anyone can cut-and-paste but until we know what the OP's opinion is on the matter we don't know in what direction the discussion is going.

For that matter, "can't you grasp it"/can't you read" is at least as rude as Fuck off.


22 Apr 11 - 01:14 PM (#3140431)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,number 6

One of the reasons I don't bother to post here in the Mudcat is exemplified by some of the responses here in this thread .... if one doesn't understand the subject of the thread and asks for clarification and a reasonable response is provided don't tell them to f**ck off ... just forget about and move on, or if one doesn't agree with another's response politely tell them you disagree, or again just move on ..... you don't them to tell someone to f**k off .... seems to be a lot of f**k off's are retorting around the mudcat, at least more than usual ... sure, sometimes certain individuals should be told to f**k off but ...

Anyway, I understand exactly what Richie is saying here ... and I find it interesting ... who would want to be beaten over the head by a drunken cop. That's quite appalling.

So .... that's my 2 cents worth. If you disagree ... fine .... if you want to tell me to f**k off go right ahead ... and if you do .... f**k you too.

biLL ... ;-)


22 Apr 11 - 01:22 PM (#3140440)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,999

Mr Black ahs pulled this kinda crap on other threads. You too--as is Goatfell--are entitled to your opinion, biLL. I am entitled to mine.


22 Apr 11 - 01:38 PM (#3140447)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,Eliza

"F*** off!" isn't an opinion, it's offensive abuse.


22 Apr 11 - 01:41 PM (#3140452)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,999

`Try reading the title of the thread slowly, it informs us that the riot police in France intend to strike because they are not allowed to drink on duty. Most people get the grasp of reading, you should try it.`

And what do you call that, if not offensive.


22 Apr 11 - 01:42 PM (#3140454)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,999

PS I had read the article and have no idea even now why it`s become a Mudcat thread. Take your own vitriol elsewhere, Eliza.


22 Apr 11 - 01:46 PM (#3140459)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,Eliza

I think you are horrid.


22 Apr 11 - 02:09 PM (#3140473)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Ebbie

Mama!


22 Apr 11 - 02:19 PM (#3140477)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)

It is not unusual here for a member to create a thread about an amusing story they come across in the media. I started this thread in a light hearted mood, I find it unbelievable that any public servant should be allowed to drink on duty, be it traffic control, a housing officer or street cleaner.

People start threads that may seem silly or uninteresting, if they don't appeal to me, I pass over them. This person asked "What is the point of this thread" the point was to highlight a practice none of us in the UK or USA would find acceptable. He asked a silly question, and in turn received a silly answer.

I did not tell him to f. off, In saying that, it could come yet.


22 Apr 11 - 02:33 PM (#3140484)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Ebbie

"I started this thread in a light hearted mood, I find it unbelievable that any public servant should be allowed to drink on duty, be it traffic control, a housing officer or street cleaner." Richie Black

Had you said anything to that effect at the start, I think it would have been an interesting subject.

I agree with the idea of not drinking on duty, whatever the job.

However, maybe France has simply held on longer to the old-style; there was a time when a 'cup of grog' was not only expected but accepted.


22 Apr 11 - 02:47 PM (#3140498)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)

I recall a time when a police constable(on bicycle)would drop into our local while out on his rounds. It always just happened to be before last orders. My father often put a little something in his tea on a winters morning.

Mind you, that was a couple of centuries ago, when the only crime in our area was a cow straying into a garden and eating from Mrs,Lightbody's window box!


22 Apr 11 - 03:16 PM (#3140520)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,999

Was typical back in the day even in the colonies for police to have a drop or two on cold nights. I think that maybe it`s a dated thing, however.

But, I also think the nature of neighbourhood crime has changed, and I don`t think I`d care to be half in the bag while trying to deal with a guy and his pals carrying Uzis or Glocks.

Makes me wonder what the cops were doing when they killed the 12-year-old kid, or what the cops in Vancouver Airport were on when they killed the Polish man by tazing him to death.



Thanks to whoever it was for calling me torrid. It`s the heat.


22 Apr 11 - 03:20 PM (#3140524)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Ebbie

It is interesting to note how things have changed. Of course, in those days alcoholism was not considered something that respectable people suffered and smoking or not smoking was one's own business.


22 Apr 11 - 03:33 PM (#3140534)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Bettynh

The Russians have a similar attitude. I first heard about this on npr in 2004, so the battle has been long.


22 Apr 11 - 04:03 PM (#3140555)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)

GUEST,999 I apologize, that my earlier response to your comment was found to be offensive.

In my day (before most of you were born) the local police sergeant was judge, jailer and executioner. I recall two friends of mine over from Ireland, leaving the local pub one night, they sang "Moonlight in Mayo" to a local girl. One got a clip around the ear from Sergeant Winstanley and told in no uncertain terms that people were asleep and to go quietly on his way.

This was long before, Civil Liberty groups accompanied the police to observe their handling of late night revellers. I am sure many of you have seen the programmes about police having to deal with drunks coming out of night clubs. Drunk or not, they seem to know just how far they can push the law.

I can never understand those magistrate court cases in the local papers about someone charged with criminal damage to property or actual bodily harm and the excuse of being simple drunk is accepted and they seem to receive a lesser sentence.

Some years back, a local man was knocked down and killed by a drunk driver. The driver of the car was that drunk he couldn't even recall the incident and arrested whilst still behind the steering wheel of the car. He got a three year sentence in prison and was out in 18 months, most of the sentence was actually spent living with some religious order doing routine maintenance and gardening around their premises and occasionally visited by the prison authorities. I called it murder.


22 Apr 11 - 05:32 PM (#3140623)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: GUEST,999

My mistake, Richie. No apology necessary except from me to you, but thank you.


22 Apr 11 - 05:46 PM (#3140634)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)

Enjoy your Easter break there and keep well. Thanks.


23 Apr 11 - 12:10 AM (#3140832)
Subject: RE: BS: Riot police threaten strike action.
From: The Fooles Troupe

Here in Oz - one state Police force is upset about the new regs banning them receiving free food from Maccas, etc.