He refused to comply with the injunctions and won his case in court. Prosecuted for having refused a requisition from the prefect, in March 2022, following the blocking of the Brest oil depot, a repairman was released on Monday by the Brest criminal court. “There is still justice in France”, rejoiced Dominique Tanguy, 52, who came to attend the deliberations in work clothes. “There is no precedent, I am the first repairman-tug to be summoned to court for a requisition refusal. This means that now the door is open to new refusals perhaps, ”added the mechanic, who had already refused a requisition from the prefect in 2018, under the same conditions.
Dominique Tanguy had been called upon on March 17, 2022 when construction professionals blocked the Brest oil depot with construction machinery for more than two months to protest against rising fuel prices. But the convenience store had refused to intervene, arguing that the protesters were its customers and that it feared for the safety of its employees.
“There is no urgency to have the heavy weights removed”
During the hearing on January 30, the prosecution had requested a fine of 850 euros against him. “If Dominique Tanguy had been convicted, the prefect could ban him from his profession, it was the risk that we ran”, explained Bertrand Labat, lawyer for the convenience store. According to the Brest court, there was not “a particular urgency to remove the heavy goods vehicles present on the road in support of the demonstrators”.
“In addition, it is not established either that the withdrawal of the devices could have been done in sufficient security conditions or that this withdrawal would have been sufficient to put an end to the manifest disturbance to public order observed”, according to the judgment. “The problem in France is a bit like this now: we are on strike but we are requisitioned. There is no longer any right to strike in fact”, estimated Dominique Tanguy.