CRS

The Compagnie républicaine de sécurité (CRS) is a French civilian police force, attached to French National Police. Mainly used for intervening in public demonstrations, but also in civil defense. In French slang, CRS may also refer to an individual officer of the company.

The CRS, created in 1944 and reorganized in 1948, is an elite corps trained in anti-riot techniques. At the time of its origin, the Communists were very well represented in its ranks (which explains their engagement in the Resistance... and according to some by a sense of duty(?)). A purge reduced their numbers after the Communist Party was placed in the opposition to the governments of post-war period.

In its task of monitoring and blocking demonstrations, it has a role similar to the original gens d'arme(men-at-arms) (today's gendarmes), created during the Middle Ages in order to subdue the revolts of ' ' the blue feet '' (dyers).

Their role in the maintenance and re-establishment of order, often making use of force, has led to recurring criticisms from demonstrators. A famous slogan from May 1968 was "CRS = SS". More pleasantly, their initials could be diverted, for example in "Car rempli de singes/Car full of monkeys".

External Link

• History of the CRS

( a rough translation of " class="external">http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/CRS. )\n