On the night of Sunday August 7 to Monday August 8, the Compiègne police station (Oise) was the target of fireworks mortars. On July 14, in the 20e district of Paris, a residence for the elderly caught fire after an object of this type landed on a balcony. And the same day, in Lyon, the police, who came for a street furniture fire, came under fireworks for several minutes, which injured a policeman in the eye.
«The media speak of mortar fire, but they are more like Roman candles, that is to say tubes of about 30 millimeters in which projectiles, generally eight, are arranged to be propelled during firing ” , explains Bernard Deom, president of the Syndicate of show and entertainment pyrotechnics.
A use that is becoming commonplace
The object is normally used vertically, to create fireworks, which, in residential areas, can exasperate residents. But it can also be diverted from its initial use in tense horizontal fire against rival groups or the forces of order.
This weapon by destination is very unreliable: “If the person lets go of the tube, it can continue to shoot everywhere while swirling. Impacts or shrapnel can cause fires or injuries, says Bernard Deom. The most frequent are major burns, because it is very, very hot. And if you take the projectile in the head, clearly, it can kill you. »
However, the use of fireworks, formerly confined to July 13 and December 31, has become commonplace, especially among young people in working-class neighborhoods, especially against the police. “I have been in Seine-Saint-Denis for seventeen years and I would say that it has existed for at least ten years, believes Grégory Goupil, regional secretary of the Alliance police union. For a while, we increased the checks in stores and it calmed down, but now these products have become very accessible online. »
Hardening of the law
If category F1 fireworks, of the wick firecracker type, are on sale from the age of 12, type F2 or F3 products, such as Roman candles, are accessible from the age of 18. The law of May 25, 2021 tightened the regulations. From now on, the fact of selling these products to people who do not respect the age or the technical knowledge required by law, just like the fact of buying, possessing, or using them without this knowledge, is punishable by six months in prison and fine of €7,500, penalty doubled if the acquisition is made via the Internet. Professionals also have an obligation to report any suspicious sales. But control is complicated. Furthermore, “the criminal response is very insufficient: sometimes we arrest people who have shot at the police and they just have a reminder of the law”, resumes Grégory Goupil.
To improve things, believes Éric Pliez, PS mayor of 20e district of Paris, «there’s repression, which is necessary when it’s used as a weapon, and there’s prevention, because you have to make young people understand that it’s dangerous for them and for local residents. We are already working with the city’s mediators, but we are now considering working with the colleges. »
–
