News Briefs from Lucioles #9

I hate power
On April 5th, around fifteen shots were found to have been fired into the public office of the Socialist Party [currently the ruling party] in the 15th arrondissement. On May 2nd, the windows of the Socialist Party office are smashed. In the storefront, the party’s cute little militants wrote a message on a placard: “political violence is an affront to democracy.” Clearly, yes. So, let’s smash democracy.

I hate the police
On April 24th, some pigs were hit with stones in Vigneux-sur-Seine (91), in the Croix-Blanche neighborhood. A paving stone hit a pig in the head and sent him to the hospital in serious condition. The skillful stonethrowers remain unidentified.

I hate the police, too
Weekend evening in the center of Paris. During a traffic dispute, a toughguy gets out of his car and identifies himself as an off-duty police officer…He finishes his evening in an operating room have his liver and lung stitched up. Brilliant analysis from the pig union: “This is an act of hatred against the police.” Three people were arrested.

Find the right cable!
Some cable breaks in two equipment rooms of French Telecom deprive a thousand subscribers of telephone and internet service on April 25th in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Maisons-Laffitte (78).

Missed opportunities…
In late April, a homeless man who was rummaging in the trash found a small arsenal at place de Stalingrad . An automatic pistol, four grenades, some cartridges and a tank warhead, all of them in perfect working condition. The weapons belonged to a deceased collector, and the family threw them out. Unfortunately, the vagrant–a good, obedient citizen–called the police…

Child’s play
On May 7th in l’Oise, two fifteen year olds were suspected to have sabotaged the TGV Lille-Paris line and were arrested by gendarmes [Military police]. They lodged concrete slabs on the rails of the TGV line heading toward Lille-Paris. A TGV, which was on a journey between Lille and Rennes, was “severley damaged” after hitting the concrete at 2:45 PM. It was immobilized on its way to check the train and left at a low speed in the direction of Paris. This act resulted in delaying five TGVs for about thirty minutes, and the Lille-Paris train had to be removed. How little it takes to disrupt the flows of the herds and of goods–only one must get away faster.