Ousting of the director of the Marseille PJ: police demonstrate in several cities in France

Eric Arella was removed from his post after a demonstration by around 200 police officers from the Marseille PJ on Thursday. The latter had created a “hedge of dishonor” for the boss of the national police. gathered in several towns in France to show their dissatisfaction. Many denounce a brutal and arbitrary decision. In Marseille, Eric Arella went to the police station to the applause and cheers of more than a hundred members of the PJ, after learning the same day during lunch, being removed from office. Spontaneously, the police decided to demonstrate with signs saying “I am Arella” or “Hands off my PJ”. They also laid down their arms to show their displeasure. PJ officers from Marseille laid down their arms to protest against the dismissal of their director. © BFMTV”It’s for Eric Arrela”In Nice, around fifty PJ officers also gathered in front of the Auvare barracks to denounce the ousting of the director of the Marseille PJ. “It’s for Eric Arrela,” they said before applauding their former boss. “We are out here today, like all the judicial police services in France, to show our support,” said a representative of the Nice PJ at the microphone of BFM Nice Côte d’Azur. Beyond the area managed by Eric Arella, the officers of the judicial police met spontaneously in several cities in France: Lyon, Grenoble, Lille, Tours, Orléans or even Ajaccio, Strasbourg and Brest. Demonstrations took place in around thirty cities, notably in Versailles where the headquarters of the National Association of the Judicial Police is located. Grumble against the reform of the PJ The dismissal of Eric Arella comes a day after a demonstration bringing together around 200 members of the judicial police in Marseille and their icy welcome to Frédéric Veaux, the boss of the national police who came to sell the reform of the judicial police. During this demonstration, the latter had been received by a “hedge of dishonor”. “Our zonal director supported us while being loyal. He did what was necessary and he is held responsible for the sling. hours that I did not think I would live,” said a Marseille police officer to BFMTV.com. Led by Frédéric Veaux and Gérald Darmanin, the reform of the PJ plans to place all the police services of a department – including the judicial police ( PJ) – under the authority of a single Departmental Director of the National Police (DDPN), reporting to the Prefect. The PJ fears losing its territorial network and its hierarchical independence.”Obviously, as with any reform, there are discussions, there may be disagreements, but such disloyalty is not acceptable, a source told BFMTV. of the entourage of the Directorate General of the National Police. The results in Marseilles are also poor, with record levels of homicides while the workforce has been considerably reinforced. “Eric Arella held the position of director of the PJ of Marseille since 2015. He will become project manager at the National Police Directorate and will be replaced by Dominique Abbenanti, until now internal security attaché in Algiers.Marine Langlois with Cindy Chevaux