Well.
It took them long enough.
The existence of a masked gang of young men tying up rioters in one town is discussed in French language publications, but the mayor insists no such thing exists and tells locals to call the police if they witness unrest.
Witness accounts of a so-called “brigade anticasseur” (anti-thug brigade) in the port town of Lorlent, Brittany are reported by local newspaper Le Télégramme. In addition to what is reported by members of the public to the paper, a journalist for the publication claims to have seen a group of between 20 and 30 “young, hooded men” wearing balaclavas and gloves performing unofficial arrests.
Using zip-ties to restrain alleged rioters, the men are said to have then handed their captures onto the regular police on Friday night as well as having been seen putting out fires. Described as strongly physically built, fast-moving, and proceeding in a tightly-packed group, a report in Ouest France says one member of the group told a journalist that he couldn’t reveal their identities but that “we are on the good side” and that the group was a spontaneous meeting of friends to protect the city-centre.
They are definitely the light side of the force. And the light side of the skin.
If a group forms like this, it could easily become a political power amidst turmoil. The real challenge is preventing the Jews and the Americans from taking control of the group. You have to have your own leader in such a group, or they will just send someone in to become the leader.
The paper claims to have witnessed the group arresting a rioter thought to have vandalised a local business, restraining the individual with “visibly well-honed technique”, as well as punching a rioter in the face. While police officers on the scene talking to the paper say they don’t know who the group are, they are welcoming of the help.
One officer is reported to have said to Le Télégramme: “We let it happen at the start of the evening, because it relieved us”.
Sweet.
Local station J’aime Radio claims to have spoken to members of the group on patrol again two nights later, interviewing them anonymously. One who spoke to the station said at first a group of friends decided they wished to stand side-by-side with police but not get involved, but eventually having seen how overwhelmed the small number of officers were becoming compared to the weight of rioters, they felt obliged to get involved.
When asked by the interviewer if the group had any “far-right” connections, a woman replied that: “no, we are just people who want to save France, because France is going to ruin”. She further added that it was their belief the killing of an Algerian-heritage teen by a police officer last week is just being used as an excuse for rioting and looting by youths.
Haha.
There’s a woman?
And she’s going around and ensuring the media that the group is not racist?
Yikes.
A man added “we are patriots who love France” and that if rioters only had trouble with the police, they could understand that, but the attacks on private businesses for looting underlined the true cause of the violence. He said it was unacceptable to see a small business owner, who may have invested his whole life of savings, and all his energy, see his hard work “go up in smoke” because of looters.
Several outlets including Ouest France, Telegram and Le Figaro all point out that the town of Lorlent is home to a military base but do not go so far as to definitely assert the brigade’s members are off-duty Marines. A spokesman for the Maritime Commandos force stationed at the base is reported to have denied any knowledge of their people being involved.
Despite journalists from several newspapers reporting directly on the activities of the brigade anticasseurs, the mayor of Lorlent moved quickly to dismiss speculation, insisting the vigilantes didn’t, in fact, exist at all. Centre-right UDI party mayor Fabrice Loher said: “In response to a rumour: no, there is no “militia” working alongside the police! Our citizens are called to call… to report any public order issues.”
Okay.
Well, it sure sounds like it exists.
But this is what the mayor of Gotham used to say about the Batman: “He doesn’t exist.”