This Saturday, October 23, Bruno Lethuillier, mayor of the town of Faulq, in Calvados, was struck with a baton by a young person who was participating in an urban rodeo. Yet another case of violence linked to this trend, particularly widespread in the country.
While about fifty young people in scooters and motorcycles had met in this town of 340 inhabitants, blocking traffic, the mayor, living nearby, came in order to put an end to these acts.
Unfortunately for him, one of the young people struck him with a baton, according to the gendarmerie which was dispatched to the scene. Bruno Lethuillier was not taken to hospital, but he still filed a complaint and an investigation was opened
Through these urban rodeos, some young people intend to challenge the police by riding without a helmet, in the wrong direction, sometimes putting the lives of others in danger. The inhabitants who witness these acts, in addition to fearing for their safety, are outraged by the noise of the machines. A phenomenon that is gradually moving towards the countryside, much less subject to police checks.
On October 22, members of the rap group The Daltons, from the 8th arrondissement of Lyon, were arrested while participating in an urban rodeo in the middle of the city. In Clermont-Ferrand, an octogenarian lost her life after being struck by a motorcycle on a pedestrian crossing.