Amnesty denounces the "judicial harassment" of France against the demonstrators

Police violence against demonstrators in France has been widely publicized,

which they are the object, less.

In a damning report released Tuesday, Amnesty International denounces a system designed to

on people who often have not committed offenses.

In 2018 and 2019, more than 40,000 people were convicted of various offenses and offenses

, frequently

says long.

Its 56-page report documents dozens of cases of peaceful protesters

and

, according to Amnesty, during the period of popular mobilization of

and against the pension reform.

Read also: What happened to the leaders of the "yellow vests"?

Frédéric Vuillaume, union official of Force Ouvrière and "yellow vest" from the start in Besançon, tells of a

for him and his family, who had never had to deal with

before the demonstrations of November 2018.

, assures this 48-year-old maintenance worker.

he says.

But the prefecture and the prosecution did not hear it that way.

Accused of being one of the

of the movement in his city, he should, according to them, have declared the gatherings.

Violence during protests is a legitimate concern, but there is a political will to set an example and deter people from taking to the streets.

"

Marco Perolini, researcher for France at Amnesty International

Police custody, house searches, court summons ... A long cycle of

and

which will last two years then began for the activist and his relatives.

Tried three times for obstructing traffic and insulting a person holding public authority - he shouted

during a trip by the Minister of the Interior at the time - Frédéric Vuillaume was banned from demonstrating and ordered to pay a total of eight fines.

His wife was indicted twice and his 22-year-old stepson, with a clean criminal record, was sentenced in February 2019 to one year in prison, including six months closed for throwing a mortar firecracker.

"Violence during demonstrations is a legitimate concern, but there is a political will to set examples and dissuade people from taking to the streets,"

said Marco Perolini, researcher for France at Amnesty International.

The offenses, often formulated

, lead the courts to pronounce

sanctions

against peaceful demonstrators, according to the researcher.

In addition,

regrouping with a view to participating in violence ”

adds.

According to official statistics, 1,192 people were convicted of this offense in 2019.

To read also: Mythologies of the decade: the "yellow vests"

Julien and Gilles were arrested and searched on February 17, 2019 as they reached a roundabout blockage in Toulouse.

In their pockets, police found flares, a ski mask and a dust mask.

After twenty-four hours in police custody, the two forty-year-olds were prosecuted for

and

.

Released on bail, they no longer had the right to set foot in Toulouse while awaiting trial.

Two months later, the criminal court declared the proceedings

.

But again, the prosecution appealed the decision.

They were finally acquitted for lack of evidence in December 2019.

, testifies Gilles, under cover of anonymity in the report.

According to Amnesty, the repression of demonstrators has increased with the adoption of new laws, notably that of April 2019, criminalizing behavior that was not previously a crime, such as covering the face.

In 2020, the health crisis provided an opportunity to further extend restrictions on the right to demonstrate: according to the NGO, 85 people were fined for demonstrating in May and June.