French officials are hoping for a resurgence in speed camera revenue as the country's virus scare lockdowns ease. According to budget documents, the government pocketed only 730 million euros (US $862 million) as traffic dwindled on the nation's roads in 2020 -- far less than the over 1.1 billion euro (US $1.3 billion) windfall expected in long-range projections made two years ago. For 2021, officials hope the profit will rise to 809 million euros (US $955 million). Anti-camera vigilantes are looking to thwart that outcome by eliminating the devices that earn the most revenue, a tactic successfully used during the Yellow Vest movement last year.

On Sunday, French vigilantes disabled the speed camera on the RN19 in Pomoy by covering its lenses with yellow spraypaint. On the day before that, the pole-mounted "turret" speed camera on the RD1006 in Saint-Thibaud-de-Couz was was destroyed. On Wednesday, fire mutilated the speed camera on the RD673 in Rochefort-sur-Nenon. In Martigues, a roadside speed camera was torched on Tuesday.

In Mehren, Germany, vigilantes on October 5 destroyed the speed camera on A1 highway toward Saarbrucken by setting it on fire, according the Rheinland-Pfalz Polizei. On the same day in Italy, black spraypaint was applied to the speed camera on the Via Vigevanese in Buccinasco, just outside Milan.