5/6/2019
France, Italy: Speed Cameras Torched, ToppledVigilantes in France and Italy use spraypaint, fire and ramming speed to take out photo radar units.
French government officials have made a show of force by cracking down on Yellow Vest protesters and arresting people for destroying speed cameras. One of those swept up in the police dragnet included a 23-year-old from Eure who was charged with ramming the automated ticketing machine on the RD910 in Saint-Cheron on December 28. The man owned a car similar to the one thought to have been used in the attack. According to the man and his neighbors, the broken down vehicle has not budged from under a tarp in the man's backyard. A local magistrate tossed the case, L'Echo Republicain reported.
On Saturday, the speed camera on the D1044 in Festieux was completely destroyed by fire. On Friday, vigilantes in Normandy set fire to five speed cameras. The devices were located in Saint-Martin-des-Pezerits, on the D926 in Mandres, on the N12 in Nonancourt and two cameras on the D562 in Herouville-Saint-Clair. On Wednesday, the camera on the N2 in Claye-Souilly was blinded with red spraypaint and the word "racket" scrawled on it in English. In Hennebont, orange spraypaint was the color of choice for the speed camera on the D781. On April 28, the speed camera on the RN47 in Courcelles-les-Lens was covered with pink spraypaint just three days after it had been replaced from attacks earlier in the year.
In Ariccia, Italy, the speed camera on the Via Prelatura was ripped out of the ground and left on the side of the road last week.