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PRESIDENT

Hollande’s bodyguards forget guns on Rio trip

French President François Hollande’s absent-minded bodyguards left their charge with less protection than usual on his recent trip to a climate conference in Brazil after leaving their guns in France.

Published: 27 June 2012 13:57 CEST

The presidential bodyguards realised they had forgotten their guns on arrival at Rio de Janeiro Airport, French satirical Le Canard Enchainé revealed. 

The elite GSPR unit which protects the French president normally travels with a secured briefcase that contains a set of guns. But when they sought to present the weapons to customs officials, they couldn’t find them. It turned out they had left them at the Elysée Palace in Paris. 

The bodyguard in charge of the weapons was fired from the unit because he reportedly tried to blame the neglect on somebody else.

Le Canard Enchainé reports that Hollande’s protection during the climate conference in Brazil was “bare-handed”. 

While Hollande enjoyed minimal protection in Brazil, former president Nicolas Sarkozy was being royally protected. French weekly Paris Match reports he has been allocated 10 police officers to provide security for him.

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PARIS

Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Efforts to relocate wild rabbits that are a common sight on the lawns of the historic Invalides memorial complex have provoked criticism from animal rights groups.

Published: 14 February 2024 13:01 CET
Fluffy nuisance: Outcry as Paris sends Invalides rabbits into exile

Tourists and Parisians have long been accustomed to the sight of wild rabbits frolicking around the lawns of Les Invalides, one of the French capital’s great landmarks.

But efforts are underway to relocate the fluffy animals, accused of damaging the gardens and drains around the giant edifice that houses Napoleon’s tomb, authorities said.

Police said that several dozen bunnies had been captured since late January and relocated to the private estate of Breau in the Seine-et-Marne region outside Paris, a move that has prompted an outcry from animal rights activists.

“Two operations have taken place since 25 January,” the police prefecture told AFP.

“Twenty-four healthy rabbits were captured on each occasion and released after vaccination” in Seine-et-Marne, the prefecture said.

Six more operations are scheduled to take place in the coming weeks.

Around 300 wild rabbits live around Les Invalides, according to estimates.

“The overpopulation on the site is leading to deteriorating living conditions and health risks,” the prefecture said.

Authorities estimate the cost of restoring the site, which has been damaged by the proliferation of underground galleries and the deterioration of gardens, pipes and flora, at €366,000.

Animal rights groups denounced the operation.

The Paris Animaux Zoopolis group said the rabbits were being subjected to “intense stress” or could be killed “under the guise of relocation”.

“A number of rabbits will die during capture and potentially during transport,” said the group, accusing authorities of being “opaque” about their methods.

The animal rights group also noted that Breau was home to the headquarters of the Seine-et-Marne hunting federation.

The police prefecture insisted that the animals would not be hunted.

In 2021, authorities classified the rabbits living in Paris as a nuisance but the order was reversed following an outcry from animal groups who have been pushing for a peaceful cohabitation with the animals.

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