No injuries were reported on Tuesday evening in the neighbourhood of Kermoysan, in Quimper, (Finistère), but “several dozen individuals assaulted firefighters intervening to extinguish fires of vehicles and trash voluntarily lit,” said the prefecture of Finistère in a statement. Cars and garbage bins were set alight, while projectiles were launched at police officers by black and Arab youths.
It was the beginning of an evening of violence when the police and gendarmes were called on site to secure the action of firefighters that had become the targets of violence. “Fortunately, no injuries were noted among the emergency services and security,” said the prefecture.
According to several sources, the violence erupted with the arrest of a migrant youth driving a motorcycle without a helmet. “It has angered the youths of the neighbourhood who take revenge by setting fires,” lamented a local resident. But before the arson attacks, a face-to-face meeting between police and young people had taken place.
The police instructed inhabitants to stay indoors when the violence broke out.
Les pompiers, escortés par des policiers, s’apprêtent à intervenir sur les incendies en cours. Côté habitants, les forces de l’ordre ont conseillé à chacun de rentré chez soi. #quimper pic.twitter.com/GiJujGWKwI
— Basile Caillaud (@CaillaudBasile) September 10, 2019
The director of public security of Finistère, Nelly Jauneau-Poirier, told France Bleu Breizh Izel that the violence may have occurred “probably following our intervention in halting street races, some time after we had the vehicle fires”. On Wednesday morning, the police announced that they had not arrested anyone.
“These acts of violence must be firmly condemned. Relief and security services act in the interest and protection of all, and attacking them is unacceptable. The prefect of Finistère wishes to state his total support of firefighters, policemen, gendarmes who were victims of these attacks,” reads the communiqué of the prefecture.
“These barbaric acts are now witnessed in Brittany’s cities! The ‘living-together’ imposed by the supporters of immigration has turned into a nightmare,” said Gilles Pennelle, president of the RN in the Regional Council of Brittany.
“Unacceptable scenes of urban guerrillas at night in #Quimper. Those who attack our police, gendarmes and firefighters must be sentenced systematically and heavily. Why does the government and Christophe Castaner refuse to sentence them? ” Éric Ciotti tweeted on the social network.
“But when will this cycle of violence end against our police forces?” his Republican colleague, Valerie Boyer, wanted to know.
Scènes inacceptables de guérilla urbaine cette nuit à #Quimper.
Ceux qui s'en prennent à nos policiers, gendarmes et pompiers doivent être condamnés systématiquement et lourdement.
Pourquoi le gouvernement et @ccastaner refusent les peines planchers? https://t.co/nu7neFeKtr
— Eric Ciotti (@ECiotti) September 11, 2019