‘Our job is to make sure the thugs don't win’: French interior minister slams attack on police officers (VIDEO)

France’s interior minister has condemned an apparent ambush of police officers in a west Paris suburb in which “thugs” shot fireworks at cops, declaring that “to attack a police officer is to attack the republic.”

Commenting on Saturday’s attack involving about 30 people in Poissy, Yvelines, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told reporters that “Our job is to protect [the police] by law and by additional forces.”

Everywhere [in France], the police and the gendarmerie are there to put an end to a number of very serious disturbances, in particular the drug trafficking. Our job is to make sure that the thugs do not win.

“To attack a police officer is to attack the Republic,” the minister added.

Darmanin’s comments on Monday came after footage of the officers being attacked was circulated on social media. 

Officers were reportedly pelted by stones and shot at with fireworks as a group of aggressive individuals shouted “kill them, kill them.” The officers called for reinforcements, but their attackers had fled before back-up arrived at the scene. 

No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made at this stage.

The independent union of police commissioners (SICP) condemned both the attack and the mistrust of police officers “in difficult neighborhoods and in large complexes” in the wake of Saturday’s incident. 

Matthieu Valet, deputy national secretary of the SICP told BFMTV that it has “become a game and a national sport” in some areas for people to target police and “film themselves like a trophy” as a show of strength. 

On Friday, a similar attack occurred in Elancourt, also in Yvelines, in which a police patrol was attacked by about 20 individuals. The Central Directorate of Public Security (DCSP) said that rubber bullet (LBD) fire was used to disperse the hostile crowd. A 15-year-old was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!