RT Video Spurs Calais Police Trade Union to Go to Court

In a video, released by RT on Youtube, members of the union noted that officers of the municipal police were deployed during the recent Pegida rally in the French city of Calais, constituting a violation of the country's law.

After the video release, the union appealed to Calais mayor with a request to explain why municipal police officers were involved in a security operation during the Pegida protest.

After RT France published the video on Youtube depicting the arrest of former Foreign Legion Leader Christian Piquemal during the recent anti-migrant demonstration, the trade union of Calais's municipal police went to court.

The video revealed an armed "man in the uniform of the municipal police." The trade union stated that the involvement of municipal police officers taking part in operations to maintain order is illegal, because such operations are the responsibility of the prefecture.

"Given the fact that the municipal police officers are not allowed to take part in such kind of operations to which they have not been prepared, the municipal police union has decided to go to court. The Calais mayor must provide explanations on the case," a representative of the trade union said.

An anti-migrant rally organized by Pegida took place in Calais on February 6. Police arrested some 20 people during the protest. All of them may face up to a year in prison for taking part in an unlawful assembly.