Article from: www.thenewspaper.com/news/65/6553.asp

9/24/2018
France, Italy, Russia: Speed Cameras Burned, Bashed, Blinded
Speed cameras in France, Italy and Russia came under fire -- and spraypaint -- last week.

Antispeed camera posterOpposition to the lowering of speed limits on departmental roads in France continued to be taken out on the country's most profitable automated ticketing machines last week. France 3 found the number of tickets issued in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques department has tripled since July, but motorists have fought back by covering cameras with trash bags and posters opposing the new 80 km/h (50 MPH) speed limit on departmental roads.

On Friday, the speed camera on the D619 in Maizieres-la-Grande-Paroisse was destroyed by fire, according to L'Est Eclair. In Peaugres, the speed camera on the RD820 was torched on Sunday, France Bleu reported. Le Courrier d'Hirson revealed that the speed camera on the D3050 in Hirson had been scorched on Thursday. The lens on the speed camera on the D606 in Saint-More was drilled through on Wednesday, according to L'Yonne Republicaine. Last week Monday, the speed camera on the RD939 in Aubigny-en-Artois had its lenses smashed, La Voix du Nord explained.

Red spraypaint was used to blind the speed camera on the RD6086 in Bagnols-sur-Ceze, Midi Libre reported. Green was the color of choice on Tuesday for the speed camera on the A16 in Calais, according to Nord Littoral. Orange paint was used last week Sunday to disable the radar on the RD940 in Camiers. Le Journal de Montreuil noted that the same device had been painted green the previous week. Around the same time, blue paint was used to take out the speed camera on the RD928 in Hallines, La Voix du Nord reported.

Opponents of automated enforcement in Montecassiano, Italy, can thank mayoral candidate Paride Paolorossi for standing up to the use of cameras. Corriere Adriatico notes that Paolorossi has been regularly parking in front of a speed camera car to block ticketing on Via Mattei since August 2016. The man refuses to move when asked. More serious measures were taken in Colfrancui, where vigilantes have been knocking over the automated ticketing machines. According to Oggi Treviso, the bright orange "Velo OK" brand camera columns were ripped out of their mounting locations on the Via Fraine and the Via San Pio X on Thursday.

A 21-year-old man smashed a speed camera in Kaliningrad, Russia. MK.ru reports that the device was ripped open and the batteries removed. Local police have charged a suspect.