11/5/2018
France, South Africa: Speed Cameras Covered, BurnedFrench activists used varying levels of force to stop speed cameras last week. A speed camera in South Africa was torched.
A man filmed himself disabling a speed camera in Chatres-la-Foret, France, on Saturday. Cedric Jung made no effort to conceal his identity as he covered the automated ticketing machine with a high visibility vest, secured only with a few rocks in the video posted on Facebook (the video was removed on Sunday). Some French courts have thrown out vandalism charges against attempts to disable cameras where no permanent damage was done. Also on Saturday, the speed camera on the N162 in Laval was covered in a trash bag secured by packing tape, according to Ouest France. On the previous day, unknown vigilantes used bubble wrap to keep the prolific A16 speed camera near Le Portel from issuing any more tickets, La Voix du Nord reported.
More conventional attacks continued across the country last week. In Breteuil, the speed camera on the D916 was set on fire for Halloween, Courrier Picard noted. A combination of bright green and orange paint blinded the RN88 speed camera near Saint-Ferreol-d'Auroure on Sunday, according to La Commere 43. Blue paint was used on the camera in Les Mazures on Saturday, L'Ardennais observed. White was the color of choice for a photo radar devices on the RD12 in Bas-en-Basset and the RD46 in Malvalette, Le Progres reported. In Ancteville, red paint on Wednesday covered a speed camera that has already been attacked two other times this year, according to Cote Manche.
In Mpumalanga, South Africa, on Tuesday, the speed camera on the N40 in was set on fire. According to Mpumalanga News, the housing suffered damage but the photographic equipment remained functional.