The Paris Criminal Court released on Friday May 27 two people arrested last year during a gathering of "
yellow vests
" for a caricature representing Emmanuel Macron, the Paris police chief and US President Joe Biden.
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The prefect of police Didier Lallement had filed a complaint for "
insulting a person holding public authority
" against the owner of a restaurant truck and the driver of the vehicle, arrested in Paris during a demonstration on the occasion of the third anniversary of the "
yellow vests
" movement, in November 2021.
puppet
Special feature of this van entirely painted in pink: the left side was covered with a fresco on a blue-white-red background representing Joe Biden manipulating Emmanuel Macron like a puppet.
The latter was shown without pants, placed behind the prefect of police of Paris Didier Lallement next to sheep.
The caricature was surmounted by the inscription “
La sodomie en marche!!
GJ
", the initials of the "
yellow vests
".
“
A contempt must be addressed to its addressee, which was not the case in this case
”, indicated the president of the court, to explain the release.
At the hearing, on April 1, the prosecution had requested a fine of 400 euros against Carole Pigaiani, owner of the truck, and 300 euros against the driver, Ali M.
“Good news” for “freedom of expression”
Their lawyers pleaded for release, arguing that this cartoon was part of the free exercise of satire and freedom of expression.
“
This is very good news for freedom of expression
”, reacted to AFP David Libeskind, lawyer for Carole Pigaiani, after reading the deliberation.
“
We did not expect this decision.
I am pleasantly surprised by the independence of the judiciary
", added Carole Pigaiani, regularly present with her "
pink truck
" during demonstrations to raise funds for the benefit of the association she chairs, Exit-Life, which has for the purpose
of "fighting against the suicide of young LGBT people
".
"
It's a fair application of the law
," also commented to AFP Ali M.'s lawyer, Alice Becker.
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Me Libeskind confirmed that his client intended to file a complaint for "
harassment
" and "
discrimination
" against the police, as he had announced his intention to do last November, arguing that since the appointment of Didier Lallement, the forces of order systematically blocked the pink truck with a clog, to get it out of the demonstrations.
The van, under seal since the arrest of its owner, will be returned to him, also ordered the court.
