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France: Expulsions in the ZAD: the weapons of the riot police

07 May 2018

Statewatch News Online
France  
Expulsions in the ZAD: the weapons of the riot police
7.5.18
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In view of the industrial quantities of ammunition used by the GMs [gardes mobiles] in recent days [during the expulsion operations at the ZAD in north-western France] and the hundreds of injuries that have been reported by the ZAD medical team, it is always good to know more about these military weapons.

A special page has been made by the group "Disarm the police", to clarify which weapons are being used during the police operation of April 2018.

See: Les grenades utilisées dans l’opération militaire de Notre Dame des Landes (Désarmons-les!, link) and video: Grenades utilisées à la ZAD de Notre Dame des Landes, avril 2018(YouTube, link)

Here is a summary of their report.

In the ZAD of Notre Dame des Landes, a large variety of grenades has been used since Monday 9 April [the start of the military operation]:

• The PLMP 7B and 7C (56mm) tear gas [lacrymogènes] grenades, produced by Nobel Sport. They are recognisable by their grey polyethylene (plastic) capsule distinguished by an orange adhesive strip and text in green - "Nobel Securité". They give off white smoke.
• The MP7 tear gas grenades (56mm), also produced by Nobel Sport. They contain 7 active capsules of 10g of CS. They are identical in appearance to the PLMP 7 grenades, but their smoke is orange.
• The CM6 tear gas grenades (56mm), produced by SAE Alsetex. They contain 6 active capsules of 10g of 15% CS powder, producing a 800m2 cloud for 30 seconds. They are recognisable by their grey polyethylene capsule distinguished by a red adhesive strip.
• The new generation of SM6 tear gas grenades produced by SAE Alsetex. They are identical to the previous generation, but the capsule containing the tear gas canisters is distinguished by a sky blue adhesive strip.
• The smoke grenades with FAR delay, produced by SAE Alsetex. Only hand-thrown, they are made of aluminum and equipped with a yellow ignition cap. They produce a white smoke screen for 30 seconds, and are used in tactical settings, particularly to cover troop movements.
• The GLI F4 combined-effect grenades, produced by SAE Alsetex (read our article published following the event of 15 August 2017 near Bure). They contain 10g of pure CS and 25g of tolite (TNT). They are recognisable by their yellow and red polystyrene heads, as well as their yellow cap. During the explosion they emit black and white smoke and produce a very loud explosion (165 decibels at 5m).
• The new generation of GM2L combined-effect grenades produced by SAE Alsetex. They are recognisable by their brown cap, flattened at the end and distinguished by a blue or red adhesive strip. They give off white smoke during the explosion. They contain 10g of pure CS and a pyrotechnic explosive device of 7g necessary for the implementation of the grenade, including its sound effect (160 decibels at 5m).

Here you will find further information about the "désencerclement" grenades
["break-out" grenades: supposedly to enable police to break out of difficult
situations]

What you need to know about tear gas: Ce qu’il faut savoir sur les lacrymo

On the LBD 40: Le Lanceur de Balles de Défense (LBD 40)

And the GLI F4: Suite au 15 août à Bure : autopsie de la “grenade assourdissante” GLI F4

A photo posted on the ZAD webpage (second photo down) shows the explosion of a GLI-F4 shot from a Cougar launcher. They often explode before touching the ground, and it is only a few seconds of luck that they do not explode at head height.

About yellow gases

To answer the questions that have been asked, and to undo the rumours that have been around since the start of the operations against the ZAD, it is necessary to clarify the following:

The police force ARE NOT USING "INCAPACITATING" GRENADES. The body reacts differently to the attacks that are made on it according to the nature of people's bodies. Atmospheric conditions may also modify the effects of the gas and its concentration in the air. The CS GAS IN ITS PURE FORM (unmodified and dispersed as powder in the air) present in the heads of GLI F4 grenades may explain why many people have had the sensation of dealing with a more aggressive special gas causing vomiting or nausea.

The grenades diffusing a YELLOW-ORANGE SMOKE are the MP7 grenades. They contain ONLY CS GAS, at a concentration of 7% (lower than other tear gas grenades).

Grenades containing CN gas and adamsite (derived from arsenic) ARE NO LONGER USED by French law enforcement forces.

Article about the civil arms industry: Against police weapons (ZAD, link): Article about the military weapons currently used in industrial quantities by the Gardes Mobiles in the repression and oppression of all the people who support the Zad (including journalists, even those who don't support the ZAD.): stun grenades, GLI-F4, tear gas grenades etc...

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Original article, 13 April 2018: Expulsion sur la Zad - Sur les armes des Gendarmes Mobiles (ZAD, link). Translation by Ed Emery (SOAS).

Further reading

Thousands of police deployed to destroy ten-year-old land occupation in France (Statewatch News Online, 12 April 2018)

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