An original translation by Ava Lon with many thanks!

From F Desouche, the critically important French news site

by Koba

April 10, 2017

More than 350 prison guards blocked the prison in Fleury-Mérogis (Essonne) on Monday night to protest the recent assault of six guards in the largest prison in Europe, undermined by prison overcrowding and lack of personnel.

The demonstrators, with placards reading “Fire, penance burns”, “Overpopulation, understaffing, danger” and some inviting presidential candidates to visit them, set up barricades from 7:30pm on the only route that leads to the prison, said an AFP journalist.

The facility is currently filled to 180% of its capacity. It houses more than 4,200 detainees, and nearly 150 staffing posts are vacant, according to trade unions.

“The situation is simply unbearable. This aggression is the straw that broke the camel’s back”, said Olivier Legentil, of the union UFAP-UNSa Justice (majority).

On Thursday, six prison guards were wounded by eight minors during an altercation between detainees that degenerated into a fight.