#BRAV-M

[the-bibrarian]

Hi! This is a very important petition against a uniquely brutal anti-riot squad. Only french citizens can sign it, but if it reaches 100,000 signatures our assembly has to examine it, and it already has more than 87,000!

Even if you can’t sign it, can you reblog this so it reaches as many french people as possible on tumblr dot com the website and app?? 

[dessinduframbois]

Fête du travail - Manif des doudous

Manifester est un droit !

[hedgehog-moss]

(TW POLICE VIOLENCE)

France has been feeling like a police state this week, there were 5000 cops deployed in Paris yesterday (watch this video and tell me this is a normal amount of cops and they're behaving normally) and they keep acting like they have total immunity*, to beat up protesters, to arrest protesters, or just random people walking in the vicinity of a protest. My 70+-year-old dad tried to go to a peaceful protest and had to abandon the idea because of all the tear gas being used by police.

*Which they do—as Le Monde pointed out, the cops who are violent risk nothing because they can't be identified because almost none of them wear their identification number even though it's supposed to be mandatory. They're not being penalised for not wearing them, so why should they?

If you can stomach it, please have a look at the photos and videos on this Twitter account documenting French police brutality against protesters—as I write this, the most recent tweet is about a journalist who was beaten up by a BRAV-M cop* using his steel baton; he had his head cracked open and his hand broken.

(* BRAV-M is a motorised repression corps—cops on bikes—a unit that was dissolved in 1986 after some of them beat a student to death, who wasn't even attending a protest but walking near one. Macron changed the unit's name, from Voltigeurs to BRAV-M, and reestablished it to suppress the Yellow Vests protests. This week, a BRAV-M cop deliberately drove over a 19-year-old's leg at a protest after chasing him on his bike. The victim said he heard a cop say to others "Smash him." Another BRAV-M punched a protester unconscious on March 20. And today Le Monde published an article about BRAV-M cops being recorded bragging about "breaking elbows and faces.")

In Paris last week the CRS arrested a 14-year-old kid because they took him for a dangerous black bloc protester I guess?? A child spent a night in police custody without knowing why. They've also arrested several 15 / 16 year-olds. Let's teach the youth what happens when you exercise your right to protest!

On March 16th in Paris, within one evening, they arrested 292 people, and 283 were released without charges, which means they're mass-arresting people for peaceful protests as a strategy of intimidation. The student I mentioned in my post the other day, who spent 48 hours in custody and was eventually charged for refusing to have his DNA samples taken and filed, asked the cops why they were arresting him + 4 other people who were walking down the same street and they said "Because you look like fucking leftists."

The government tells us "We fully support our brave police forces" when the cops are arresting people for "looking like leftists." How are we still a democracy? The guy also mentioned that during the time he spent at the police station, the police was mostly arresting Maghrebis, though they made an exception for him, a Black guy. There are videos from the past week of cops beating up women, tear gassing protesters in the face from 20cm away, kicking protesters in the face when they're already on the ground, crushing their heads under their boot, brutalising a homeless man and old ladies, tear gassing crowds with young children in them. I'm having trouble finding links to these specific incidents I remember because there are so many videos circulating.

Look at this video, they're violently striking the back of people's heads with steel batons even when the protesters are already going in the direction they're told to. The little old lady shoved around and trying to protect her head from the strikes is breaking my heart.

Surely at the point when enforcers of state authority are arresting middle schoolers, beating up citizens for exercising their rights and gassing and pepper spraying elderly people, children and babies in strollers, the government might want to make some sort of statement condemning this state of affairs, but instead they have been telling us they're proud of & grateful for their police forces, which of course angers people and makes protests more violent. The Minister of the Interior, who supervises the police, praises them wholeheartedly and excuses all instances of deliberate brutality as 'isolated incidents' due to 'tiredness'.

Here's a thread in English describing a protester's experience—"Yesterday (March 23) the level of arbitrary police violence clearly leveled up. I was tear gassed three times without being able to move in a very dense crowd; policemen took advantage that people were unable to move more than 20cm to pounce on us and bludgeon us in a totally arbitrary manner." (you can see an example of this behaviour in this video from a different protest)

Yesterday, after a day of nationwide protests that brought a fresh new wave of video evidence of cops beating up protesters and making reckless use of tear gas—at the end of a day when a special ed teacher at a protest got her thumb torn off by a tear gas grenade—this is what the French Prime Minister said:

They're not even trying to play it off like "both sides made mistakes" they're telling us they condone everything the police is doing, that this is what they're deploying them for:

(screencap from this video)

(this is from this video, in which you can hear a woman screaming "Stop it! You're strangling him! You have no right! I'm filming you!" The cops don't seem to care about being filmed. They're beating up citizens with the government's full blessing after all.)

Macron's government is trying to intimidate people into giving up their right to protest, by deploying cops in huge numbers and publicly voicing complete support for their behaviour, by allowing them to beat and arrest hundreds of people and to use tear gas indiscriminately. Tear gas has been completely normalised as a means of state violence, it's very practical that it doesn't leave traces of blood or broken bones I guess, but it's still violence, it burns, it's a chemical whose effects on people's health we don't know a lot about.

^ Paris (from this vid; caption: "one tear gas grenade after the other")

Macron condescendingly told us there's no "magic money" which is why the pension reform is needed, but he did find the money to stockpile these apparently unlimited amounts of tear gas grenades to suppress protests against his reform to make poor people work longer.

^ Nantes (screencap from a vid in which the cops throw three or four grenades at once and you can hear people say "oh come on, seriously? this is crazy. Why? go fuck yourselves" in a tired tone)

We've also found out yesterday that three Corsican MPs were pressured not to support the Assembly's no-confidence vote against the government—by being told if they didn't vote it, a teaching hospital would be built in Corsica.

The island of Corsica is the only region of France that doesn't have a teaching hospital; due to lack of medical resources Corsicans often have to travel to mainland France for healthcare. Just last month the Minister of Health said sorry, still no teaching hospital for Corsica, it's just not possible right now. Then last week some "magic money" was apparently found to build it but only if the Corsican MPs didn't support the no-confidence vote. I know this kind of thing isn't exactly unique in politics but Macron has been slashing hospital budgets to the point that 20% of French hospital beds are closed due to lack of staff, and he used the health of 340,000 French citizens as a bribe to save his ass. The three Corsican MPs ended up voting in favour of the no-confidence vote despite of that, as it was what their constituents wanted (honour to them). Macron's government survived the no-confidence vote by only 9 votes.

Whatever legitimacy Macron has as a President right now is being clung to by MP corruption and police repression. How do we move forwards knowing that, I don't know. How does he have legitimacy to govern on any issues after the way he handled this reform and the following protests? His police forces are drowning city centres in tear gas, a chemical whose effect on birds and other fauna is not known, and we're supposed to listen to him talk about the environment? They're wasting thousands of litres of water using water cannons to disperse protesters, and we're supposed to listen to him talk about low groundwater levels and how we need to save water? I was going to say, what about his legitimacy abroad but other Western governments don't seem too bothered so far by his handling of the protests—though I'm grateful that Amnesty International did condemn it, and that a Belgian deputy made a speech in Parliament this week asking his government to condemn Macron's use of violent police repression.

[Wait, I just saw that as I was writing this post, the Council of Europe condemned the "excessive use of force" in France. Saying that 'sporadic acts of violence' of some protesters can't 'justify the excessive use of force by agents of the State' or 'deprive peaceful protesters of their right to freedom of assembly'. This is the opposite framing as the one our government is standing by—sporadic acts of violence by cops that are either justified or excusable—it's refreshing.]

Between that and Charles III cancelling his visit (and lots of tourists cancelling trips to Paris which is bound to piss off the tourism industry) and our own media waking up and starting to talk about the government's brutality, I hope Macron starts being held accountable. He has been fanning the flames of this crisis at every turn, by telling us that the crowds protesting in the street have 'no legitimacy', by sending cops to break strikes even though striking is a Constitutional right (but the only part of the Constitution he cares about is the one that starts with 49.3), by condemning the protesters when asked to condemn police violence—saying "When [protesters] use violence, unregulated, absolute, we're no longer in a Republic." I agree, but he's describing himself.

When you resort to using article 49.3 to bypass the National Assembly for the 11th time this term to impose a reform that 70% of the country is against (and 93% of working people) that will force the poorer classes of the population to work longer, and your only response to people's distress at being told to work until they die is to force them to accept it by allowing your police forces to beat up protesters, to arrest them and to gas them, you have failed as a democratic leader.

The next organised protest and strike is next Tuesday (if you want to give something to the strike solidarity fund, here it is); in the meantime spontaneous protests are still erupting pretty much every day and cops are getting burnt out (good! There are fun videos from yesterday's protests of cops accidentally tear gassing one another, or a police car accidentally running into another as people laugh and clap.) And yes some protesters are getting more extreme and destructive, but Macron is the one choosing to stand by his reform at all costs and let this country burn. And when I look at what we're being expected to tolerate and to normalise, I'm kind of proud that French people's gut reaction was "burn it all."

Some popular Twitter hashtags for the protests:

#ToutCramer - Burn everything #CensurePopulaire - People's no-confidence vote #MacronDémission - Macron resign #OnLâcheRien - We won't cede an inch.

[ottogatto]

Nouvelle pétition pour la dissolution des BRAV-M : c'est 5 minutes pour la signer et la partager. Battez-vous pour la faire atteindre 500'000 signatures encore plus rapidement que la première fois, battez-vous si vous voulez que les violences policières cessent :

@leplusgrandlivredumonde

[userlucia]

tu si semb stat brav a m fa’ sntì n’estranej

[fizzy-whizzy-cg]

mmh.. papa pen gon for few days n i mis him so i bein brav n metin othr cgs..

mm.. helo m lee.. !

🧸❤️‍🩹

Well hello there kiddo !! Awh, you are so brave !

[iartsysam]

Spirits of the dead: Baron sa m a di, Gede Nibo, Brav Gede, Gede Zarenyen, Grann Brijit 💀⚰️✝️🖤💜🕯️

The Gede spirits, often referred to as the "Gede family," are a group of spirits in Haitian Vodou that are associated with death, the afterlife, fertility, humor, and irreverence.

They are believed to serve as intermediaries between the living and the dead, helping to guide the souls of the deceased to the afterlife.

The Gede spirits are known for their playful and mischievous nature, often using humor to challenge societal norms and break taboos.

The main day of celebration for the Gede spirits is November 2nd, which is known as "Fet Gede" or the "Festival of the Ancestors."

This is when offerings and rituals are made to honor and communicate with these spirits, seeking their guidance and protection.

The Gede spirits are associated with the colors black and purple.

Black symbolizes death and the mysteries of the afterlife, while purple represents spiritual power and transformation.

Gede Zarenyen, also known as Gede Zariyen or Gede Zarenye, is a specific Gede spirit within the Gede family. He is often depicted as a dapper and sophisticated spirit, dressed in elegant clothing.

Gede Zarenyen is associated with graveyards and is believed to have power over the dead. He is sometimes considered the guardian of cemeteries and is invoked for protection and assistance with matters related to death.

Baron Samedi is a prominent and powerful Gede spirit who serves as the leader of the Gede family. He is often depicted wearing formal attire, including a top hat and sunglasses, and is known for his irreverent and humorous behavior. He is associated with death and the afterlife, and he is believed to have the ability to help with matters related to healing, protection, and crossing between the worlds of the living and the dead.

He is a complex and multi-faceted spirit, embodying both the serious and the playful aspects of death.

Baron Samedi, the leader of the Gede spirits in Haitian Vodou, is often considered to have a counterpart known as Maman Brigitte. Maman Brigitte or Grann Brijit is a powerful and revered spirit associated with death, cemeteries, and healing. She is considered to be Baron Samedi's wife or companion in the Vodou pantheon.

Maman Brigitte is closely linked to the Vodou representation of the lwa (spirits) associated with the Irish-Celtic deity Brigid. She is depicted as a fierce and protective figure, and she is often invoked for matters related to healing, especially in relation to women's health. Like Baron Samedi, Maman Brigitte is also associated with the crossing between the worlds of the living and the dead, and she is believed to be a guardian of the cemetery.

Together, Baron Samedi and Maman Brigitte form a complementary and powerful duo within the Gede family of spirits, each embodying different aspects of death, protection, and healing.

Illustrations by @iartsysam ✨

[austerlitzborodinoleipzig]

"He's dumb but he's brav" - BRAV-M is a motorized police unit that's been at the heart of the repression against protesters. Numerous acts of violence and brutalities commited by this unit have been documented.

Stop trying to break our urns. Referendum. - wordplay because "burnes" is another word for balls.

You laws like your weapons are lethal

More trash fires. Less wood fires.

Don't ever call me democracy again. Call me macrony.

You think we like burning everything?

Darmanin (interior minister) is gross

Burn everything ?

Let's dissolve Darmanin

Deny the people and you deny democracy

[sonennou]

Ur miliner yaouank a gostez Josilin, 'Zo savet mintin mat da lemmiñ e vilin./ 'Zo savet mintin mat da lemmiñ e vilin ; Un tammig 'raok kreisteiz eñ 'lâr en doa chagrin./ Un tammig 'raok kreisteiz eñ 'lâr d'e vamm, d'e dad : « 'Ouian ket petra 'm eus a ra din kalonad ?/ » 'Ouian ket petra 'm eus 'ra din kalon diaes ? Klevet em eus lâret 'mañ dim'et ma mestrez./ » Mard eo ken gwir dim'et èl m'emañ gwir lâret, 'Raok an noz heneoazh e vin bet e gouiet./ » Ha me 'yay da ouiet, me 'c'houlenno geti : Petra, merc'hig yaouank, ha dimezet oc'h-c'hwi ?/ ‒ O ya, denig yaouank, ho trompiñ ne faot ket, Pasiñ 'ra un eizhtez eh on-me dimezet./ » Pasiñ 'ra un eizhtez eh on-me dimezet D'ur brav a zen yaouank a gostez douar (1) Gwened./ » D'ur brav a zen yaouank a gostez bro ma zad 'Deus teir milin avel, teir arall a re val./ ‒ Kerzhit, merc'hig yaouank, da fondiñ ho tim'iñ Ha me 'vo fidel deoc'h ha durant m'e vevin./ ‒ Dimezit-me ma zad d'an hani a garan Kar an hani ma c'har, hennezh 'zo ar gwellañ./ ‒ Dimezet oc'h ma merc'h, euredet e vehet (2) Pe n'eo ket me ho tad, 'n hani 'deus ho maget./ ‒ Bout 'vehec'h-c'hwi ma zad, 'n hani 'deus ma maget, Ma karan lâret pas ne vin ket euredet./ » N'eus ket beleg ebet nag a vourc'h nag a zouar Koupapl (3) da m'eureudiñ ma karan lâret pas ! »

(Transcription : Sonennoù projet)

FR. LE JEUNE MEUNIER. Un jeune meunier des environs de Josselin se leva de bon matin pour piquer ses meules. / Il se leva de bon matin pour piquer ses meules ; un peu avant midi, il dit avoir du chagrin. / Un peu avant midi, il dit à sa mère, à son père : « Je ne sais pas ce qui me chagrine ? / » Je ne sais ce qui me rend inquiet ? J'ai entendu dire que ma maîtresse est fiancée. / » Si il est vrai, comme on le dit, qu'elle est fiancée, ce soir, avant la nuit, j'en aurai connaissance. / » J'irai savoir, je lui demanderai : Qu'entends-je dire, que vous êtes fiancée ? / - Oh oui, jeune homme, je ne puis vous mentir, voilà une huitaine que je suis fiancée. / » Voilà une huitaine que je suis fiancée à un beau jeune homme du côté de Vannes. / » À un beau jeune homme, du côté du pays de mon père, qui a trois moulins à vent, trois autres qui moulent. / - Allez défaire vos fiançailles, jeune fille, et je vous resterai fidèle tant que je vivrai. / - Mariez-moi, mon père, à celui qui m'aime car celui qui m'aime est le meilleur. / - Ma fille, vous êtes fiancée et vous serez mariée ou bien je ne suis pas le père qui vous a élevée ! / - Seriez-vous le père qui vous m'a élevée, s'il me plaît de refuser je ne serai pas mariée ! / » Il n'y aucun prêtre en ville, ni sur la terre, capable de me marier si moi je dis "non" ! »

EN. THE YOUNG MILLER. A young miller from the vicinity of Josselin got up early in the morning to prick his millstones. / He got up early in the morning to prick his millstones; a little before noon, he says he has grief…

(1) <dwar> ; (2) e vehet / e viot ; (3) Koupapl / Kapapl

[ghost-town-story]

FebruarOC Day 26: Zinnia

(Bear the human and Bear the bear have finally gotten named! Fuck yeah!)

Zinnia ran as fast as her feet could carry her, darting through the now-familiar hallways towards the door to the outside. She didn’t know what she was going to do, once she reached it. She didn’t know what she should do. All she knew was that she had to get out of here as quick as possible, with Amaranth, and without getting caught.

She skidded around a corner and found herself in the lobby facing the door. Fear shot through her, bringing with it another rush of adrenaline, but Zinnia forced herself to swallow it down as she ran for the door, darting around the unsuspecting adults.

“Zinnia!”

Zinnia didn’t recognize the voice, and the additional spike of panic spurred her to go even faster as she crashed into the door. Amaranth chittered on her shoulder, her claws digging into Zinnia’s skin, but then the door gave way and they both tumbled outside for the first time.

Zinnia took a few stumbling steps, but not even the fear was enough to keep her going now. Not when everything was too bright and too unfamiliar and too loud and—

“Zinnia!”

Zinnia shrieked as somebody grabbed her by the shoulder and turned her around. Almost immediately, Pyxis let go of her and raised his hands.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t mean to scare you, it just seemed like you couldn’t hear me.”

Zinnia panted, staring at him with wide eyes. He seemed… normal. Almost too normal, considering the morning she’d had.

“Are you okay?” Pyxis asked. “What’s wrong?”

Zinnia shook her head, her panting turning to unsteady gasps.

“Can I touch you?” Pyxis asked softly.

Zinnia immediately darted for him and flung her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder. Pyxis wrapped his arms around her, and Zinnia finally felt safe, like nobody could find her hidden here.

“I know,” Pyxis murmured, keeping his mouth close to her ear so she could hear him over all the other noises around. “It’s really different out here, huh. If you told me you wanted to explore out here I woulda come with you, so it’s a bit less overwhelming.”

Zinnia shook her head again, still gasping for air.

“Do you want to go inside for a bit and sit? Then we can come back out when you’ve calmed down a bit.”

Zinnia shook her head even more emphatically, pushing herself away from Pyxis. He looked confused and a bit hurt at the action, but Zinnia didn’t give him a chance to speak. “I can’t.”

“Why not?”

Everything was confusing and terrifying, but Zinnia wanted to trust Pyxis so bad it hurt.

“Something—something bad happened this morning,” she admitted. “And—and somebody talked to me beforehand, warned me that—that—he told me I should get out of the building and run and I don’t understand—”

Her voice broke on a sob. Pyxis stepped forward to pull Zinnia into another hug, and she didn’t resist.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t—I don’t understand,” Zinnia gasped. “It happened and then it didn’t and I went through the vents before it could happen again.”

“Your powers again?”

“M—Maybe.”

Pyxis hummed, his entire chest vibrating with the noise. “If somebody’s trying to hurt you, then we gotta let somebody know,” he said. “I can tell my handler, if you want. I gotta go talk to her anyways, she got my hibernation schedule messed up and my door was locked this morning.”

Zinnia felt a cold flash of fear at his words. “Pyxis, what if she’s in on it too?” she asked. “They—they looked a lot of the other adults I saw yesterday, when I was getting tested, what if—”

“Hey.” Pyxis put a hand on her cheek and held her gaze, honey eyes warm and gentle. “I promise things are going to be okay. Will you let me help you?”

Zinnia was tired and scared, her chest hurt from too much running and crying, and Amaranth was abnormally silent on her shoulder, only the occasional twitch of her tail indicating she was still listening. But where she was small, scared, and helpless, Pyxis was tall and strong and brave, warm and gentle and sweet.

Zinnia sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “Okay,” she whispered.

Pyxis nuzzled the side of her head. “I’ll take care of you,” he murmured, and despite her worries, Zinnia knew he meant it. “Come on,” he said, pulling away and taking her hand. “Let’s go inside, okay?”

“But…” Zinnia hesitated.

“You don’t have to go back to your room,” Pyxis said. “In fact, you probably shouldn’t for a while. But there’s places for you to hide inside, where it’s familiar and not quite so scary and overwhelming. And I’ll come find you as soon as I’ve talked to my handler.”

“Okay,” Zinnia agreed, and she let Pyxis pull her back towards the door she’d burst out of.

[cg-sir-pentious]

you brav.. big n brav n m no brav cuz the thundr scar me..

🧸❤️‍🩹

Hey! Don’t say that. Thunder is very, very terrifying! And even if it wasn’t— which it is— being scared of things is completely natural!

And I am not as big and brave as you might think I am… I feel scared of plenty of things!! You know, there was a point where even I was afraid of thunderstorms!

[dessinduframbois]

Manif, à qui le tour?

Manif, à qui le tour ?D’apèrs un article de Karl Laske sur Mediapart : Sébastien, syndicaliste, blessé en manifestation : « Ils m’ont flingué l’œil »Le syndicaliste de Sud Rail, grièvement blessé à œil par une grenade lors de la manifestation du 23 mars à Paris, a déposé plainte pour « violences volontaires ayant entraîné une mutilation par dépositaire de l’autorité publique ». Mediapart l’a…

[duckciferthecg]

Papa Papa was brave n got my teeth wires tightend (braces) hurts :( but gotta b brav so m teeth can b better !

-🦴

Good job ducky! You were so brave!

[ottogatto]

A petition to dissolve the "BRAV-M", aka "Brigade de Merde", for French citizens to sign if they want to counter police repression:

https://petitions.assemblee-nationale.fr/initiatives/i-1319

[wandeel]

Sooo

I've seen quite a few people around the world talking on Twitter about what's going on in France right now, that we're just revolting over the pension reform at 64 years minimum

I am not a specialist in politics or economics, just a student of history, unemployed, from a small middle class family far from the big cities

So the pension reform, I've already talked about it a bit, is the last straw. We were lucky before to have a pension age of 60, then 62 in 2010, and to be the ones who retired the earliest compared to the other European countries around us, which exceed 65 years of age

With this reform, the minimum retirement age is 64, unless you have had a long education or started working fully before the age of 21 (as I have at the moment), in which case you will have to work longer to compensate for the years of study, and on average higher education in France is 3 to 5 years for masters. The pension is calculated in semesters, not years, but in any case, a student who has completed 5 years of study without having worked continuously before 21 will automatically have to work at over 65 from now on

This is if the person has access to money to live on after retirement. I think that no matter what country you are in, you know that many older people continue to work for a living or become homeless

Also, this pension reform should not have been put in place, it's Prime Minister Borne who forced it by using for the 11th time in 1 year, the 49.3 procedure, an undemocratic procedure that should normally be used in case of emergency

Add to that the inflation that has affected everyone with the war in Ukraine where the consumer (the people) is the one who loses the most

Also, we have had Macron for 6 years now who takes us for fools, if he was re-elected once, it is only to prevent Marine Le Pen, main head of the extreme right (political party of racists, homophobes, neo-nazis etc...), from being elected. But Macron was not elected for what he is! He was just the default choice! He too is rotten, privileging the richest (very minority)

He keeps closing more and more classes in schools (some primary classes have more than 40 students at present while in my time (I am 21 years old), there were still about twenty per class). He is also closing more and more beds in hospitals, nurses and doctors testified after the Covid crisis that they had to, in the resuscitation services, make the choice to let the weaker or older people die to leave the beds in resuscitation for people who were most likely to survive

I think there is no need to develop on he's inaction for ecology...

Let’s also talk about demonstrations, the national sport of France since forever

The problem with the demonstrations is that the police, the Brav-M, are not properly trained! They are bludgeoning absolutely everyone, demonstrators or not, even journalists who are supposed to be branded with their press cards. There are insults, abusive statements, sexual touching. There are problems of excessive power in the police but this brigade beats all the records

Anyway, there are demonstrations because we’re saturated. It’s not out of pleasure that people go out on the street to take blows, it’s because we can’t keep being docile