France investigates use of UK-funded 4x4 during protest in Dunkirk — The Guardian

France has launched an investigation after police in Dunkirk used a Masstech VEZI off-road vehicle, purchased with British funds to counter illegal crossings of the English Channel, during a student protest. The Guardian reports.

The office of French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed that an investigation had been opened into why the vehicle, intended for coastal operations against attempts by asylum seekers to board boats to cross the Channel, was used.

Incident in Dunkirk

According to French TV channel BFM TV, on October 10, the VEZI was moving at speed, reversed, and then drove forward again. A rubbish bin became stuck under the vehicle’s front wheel, which it dragged along. The video captures the screams of students running out of the off-road vehicle’s path.

A 14-year-old girl was reportedly injured in the incident. She was taken to hospital with a hematoma and was later discharged; she is recovering.

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Student protests in France have been continuing for a third week. An estimated 160,000 people are taking part, protesting over the condition of school buildings and a shortage of teachers. Participants also criticized police actions after tear gas was used in two locations.

Vehicles for coastal operations

The Masstech VEZI is an all-terrain vehicle with reinforced grilles, suitable for travelling across dunes and beaches. It was procured under the Anglo-French Sandhurst Agreement, signed in January 2018. The agreement provides for UK financial support to France to counter irregular migration.

According to the findings of a cross-party parliamentary inquiry in France into Anglo-French border arrangements, nine such specialized vehicles were purchased under the Sandhurst Agreement. The document states that equipment funded through this program must directly contribute to combating illegal migration to the United Kingdom.

French association Utopia 56, which helps asylum seekers in the country’s north, said that the practice of using off-road vehicles during student protests resembles tactics used on beaches to pursue people. The UK Home Office declined to comment.