France’s Police Are Militarizing Against a Boogeyman

The COVID-19 lockdown in France has been punctuated by the occasional news that police forces are being granted new powers to restrict democracy and carry weapons. The constant sense of threat that is pervading the Fifth Republic is being manufactured in the run-up to the 2022 presidential elections.  Last week, France’s Senate passed Article 25 of the security bill, which will allow off-duty police officers to carry weapons in public places, without fear of being barred from cafes