Fines of 500 euros for "
theft in a meeting
" were required Thursday, September 3 in Nantes against three people who had won, in March 2019, a portrait of Emmanuel Macron at the town hall of Ancenis (Loire-Atlantique) to protest "
against its inaction in the face of climate change
”.
The judgment was reserved on September 17 for the three defendants - a father, a college music teacher and his daughter, a sociology student -, all of whom have no criminal records.
Read also: Insoumis call for the portraits of Emmanuel Macron
The removal of the portrait of the President of the Republic in Ancenis, north of Nantes, on March 16, 2019, "
is part of a national campaign organized by the ANV (Non-violent Action) movement Cop21
", told AFP. one of the defendants.
The absence of a portrait left "
a void on the wall
" symbolizing "
the government's climate inaction in relation to the commitments made during the Cop21 in Paris in 2015
", he said.
A defendant explained during the hearing that this portrait would be restored "
once concrete, tangible measures
" are taken.
Before the hearing, several dozen people had gathered in front of the court, chanting “
disobedience, resistance
”.
The three defense lawyers pleaded for acquittal, stressing the non-violent nature of the action and the right of defendants to express their opinion.
One of them, Me Pierre Huriet, also regretted the mobilization of 12 gendarmes to arrest and search homes at dawn, as well as the placements in police custody, believing that such a procedure "
may give rise to fear among citizens
”.
According to ANV-Cop21, some 150 portraits have been taken for a year, since February 2019. In total, 80 people have been implicated and 32 trials announced.
