Ex-minister in France advocates for shooting live rounds and "shoot-to-kill"

French police should be allowed to use LIVE bullets and ‘shoot-to-kill’ tactics on Yellow Vest protesters, the country’s former education minister says

• Luc Ferry, 68, served in Jacques Chirac's government and is now a philosopher
• The Yellow Vest protests against fuel tax have been ongoing since 17 November
• Ferry said in an interview with Classic Radio that police should now fire weapons
• Mr Macron's government has recently announced a crackdown on the protests

Daily Mail,

9 January, 2019

A former French minister today called for the police to able to use live fire on rioting Yellow Vest protesters.

The words of Luc Ferry, the 68-year-old conservative, highlight the growing law and order crisis facing the country.

Mr Ferry, once an Education Minister and now a full-time philosopher, said: 'What I don't understand is that we don't give the means to the police to put an end to this violence.'

When it was suggested that guns might lead to wounding or worse, Mr Ferry said: 'So what? Listen, frankly, when you see guys beating up an unfortunate policeman on the floor, that's when they should use their weapons once and for all. That's enough!'

Police were attacked in major cities including Paris last Saturday on an 'Act VIII' Day of Rage by the Yellow Vests.

The movement - which is named after the high viz jackets all motorists have to carry in France - also set fire to buildings as police batons, tear gas and water cannon were used against them.

Particularly aggressive scenes were filmed in the French capital, where a former champion boxer beat up two gendarmes on a Seine bridge.

Speaking to Classic Radio, Mr Ferry added: 'We have the fourth largest army in the world, and it is able to put an end to this c***.

'These kind of thugs, this kind of c*** from the extreme Right, the extreme Left and from the housing estates that come to hit the police, that's enough.'

The Classic Radio presenter corrected Mr Ferry, saying that the majority of the rioters were not from suburban high rises, but were instead working class people from the provinces.

Those Yellow Vests arrested so far tend to have jobs, and largely hold conservative views.

Mr Ferry conceded: 'The problem is that it is a movement that has attracted the support of 80 per cent of the French. When we get to that point, we have to go back to the electorate.'

Mr Ferry is a former lover of Carla Bruni, the model and pop singer who became conservative Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's third wife when he was in office.

Mr Ferry was Education Minister in the government of Mr Sarkozy's predecessor, Jacques Chirac, in the early 2000s.

Mr Macron's government has launched a crackdown on the Yellow Vests, pledging a new anti-riot law to deal with them.

On Monday Mr Macron's Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, went on live TV to announce the tougher measures.

The government wants to draft new legislation that will ban known troublemakers from protests, and will stop masks being worn at demonstrations.

Mr Philippe also announced that there will be 80,000 police and gendarmes on the streets of France this weekend, including 5000 in Paris.

'Those who question our institutions will not have the last word,' said Mr Philippe, who refused to signal an official State of Emergency.