Even the French can be heroes now and then. Despite getting knocked out of the Women's World Cup on their home turf after a 2-1 loss to the United States — the most recent example of American athletes enjoying unprecedented success under President Donald J. Trump — the French bounced back with an epic display of winning, and proved that there are indeed some tyrants to which they won't readily surrender.
The Guardian reports:
France’s interior minister has asked the Paris police chief to explain a controversial riot police operation to remove climate activists from a bridge, after a video of officers using pepper spray and dragging protesters went viral on social media.
The interior ministry said the police operation to clear the demonstrators was "necessary to restore traffic circulation in the centre of Paris"...
The French environment minister, François de Rugy, told French TV the protesters were "radicals" offering no solutions on cutting emissions. He said that when they had refused to move, riot police had had no choice but to remove them one by one.
The Paris protests, which were organized by Extinction Rebellion, a climate activist organization started in Britain, blocked traffic at Pont de Sully in the crowded city center. French police acted swiftly and heroically to restore order to the nation's capitol.
PARIS - Intervention des CRS qui utilisent des gazeuses pour tenter de déloger les militants.
Plusieurs journalistes ont été empêcher de filmer. pic.twitter.com/XzwTCTYyJE
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) June 28, 2019
France is in the midst of a popular revolt against President Emmanuel Macron and his widely reviled policies, including an increase on gasoline taxes intended to reduce carbon emissions in the name of fighting climate change.
The so-called "yellow vest" protests have been ongoing since November 2018. They have baffled liberals around the world, especially in the United States, where the Democratic candidates running for president have expressed a desire to enact similar policies.
https://twitter.com/neeratanden/status/1071317401499783168