The trainer had punched during an argument with demonstrators asking for a ban on circuses with animals. His violence took Alexandre F., 27, to the Pontoise criminal court this Wednesday morning. He was given a three-month suspended prison sentence.
On May 5, the fifteen activists of the Paris Animaux Zoopolis collective barely had time to display their banners when the rally turned into a fight. Among the circus employees present, Alexandre leaves the ranks and rushes to one of the demonstrators, with whom he has exchanged insults for several weeks on social networks.
The aggressor minimizes
He then struck him and sprayed tear gas. His injuries will cause him three days of incapacity. Other demonstrators are gassed during the altercation, under the eyes of the police, who will then arrest the circus worker.
Already convicted of violence in 2017, Alexandre F. does not dispute the facts. But he tries to minimize them. "The sparkling, I did not use it directly on people ...", he says. "The minutes are clear, several people were inconvenienced," continued the magistrate.
"It's stupidity, it was disproportionate," admits the accused, who smiles at the mention of the victim's injuries. "Don't be mocking! "Intervenes the president. "You are in a delicate position. You are on trial for gun violence. We could have added the recidivism… ”
Defending animals is defending our future
“I sincerely regret,” concluded Alexandre F., aware of having “badly publicized the brand” Lydia Zavatta. The court also condemned the accused to pay € 1,200 in damages to the main victim and € 300 to the association, civil party.
“There were other cases of assault, for example in Soissons (Aisne), on February 3, 2019, in front of the circus in Rome. The president of our association was also threatened with death by a circus director who will be tried in Paris on February 10, ”said Jean-Luc Dené, manager within the association.
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"We remain determined to defend our cause which is legitimate and just," he adds. To defend animals is to defend our future. We are not a group of enlightened people. According to an Ifop survey, 67% of respondents want a ban on circuses with animals. "