4/16/2018
Ecuador, France, UK: Speed Cameras AssaultedSpeed and red light cameras were fell under heavy attack around the wold last week with massive protests in the streets of France.
The French Federation of Angry Motorcyclists (FFMC) sponsored protests across France this weekend with thousands hitting the roads once again in places like Ajaccio, Bordeaux, Dijon, Orleans, Paris and Toulouse to send the message that the reduction in the speed limit on departmental roads to 80 km/h (50 MPH) was unacceptable. The Paris demonstration included the burning of a speed camera in effigy in front of a government office building. On Wednesday, the actual speed camera on the RN10 near Vivonne was completely destroyed with a burning tire, according to La Nouvelle Republique.
In Haute-Loire, vigilantes painted the speed camera on the RD12 white on Thursday, Le Progres reported. In Le Russey on Wednesday, yellow paint disabled the camera, according to L'Est Republicain. Red paint was used on the camera on the RD972 in Cametours on Tuesday, La Manche Libre reported. Blue was used against against a red light camera in Saint-Lo, according to Ouest France. On the RD1075 in Saint Martin du Mont, the speed camera was painted black on Thursday, with the "thieves" spraypainted in large letters on a nearby wall, Le Progres reported. Pink paint kept the automated ticketing machine on the D308 in Le Mesnil-le-Roi from operating last week, according to Actu.fr.
In Bas-en-Basset, white paint took out the speed camera on the RD12 on Thursday, according to Le Progres. The camera on the RN102 near Fix-Saint-Geneys was painted orange on the same day. Orange was also the color of choice last week Sunday on the D31 in Laval, Ouest France reported. Yellow paint kept the speed camera in Breil-sur-Roya from issuing tickets last week. According to San Remo News, the device was located on the French side of the border on the RD6204 just outside Cronaca, Italy.
On Thursday, the speed camera on Wolverhampton Road in Oldbury, England was set on fire with a tire, according to the Oldbury Fire Station, which extinguished the blaze.
In Ecuador, vigilantes in the past month disabled two speed cameras in Cuenca. According to El Tiempo, the first device on the road between Cuenca and Azogues was decapitated on March 20. The one near Cumbe was disabled on April 7. Police have no idea who might be responsible.