Two journalists from France 2 who covered the demonstration against the health pass in Marseille on Saturday were insulted, pushed around and chased away by several individuals, we learned from concordant sources.
France Télévisions announced that it was going to file a complaint against the perpetrators of these facts, condemning “unspeakable acts” and recalling “the fundamental principle of freedom of the press”.
Following the assault on our journalists this Saturday, July 24, @francetele strongly condemns these unspeakable acts, recalls the fundamental principle of press freedom.
France Télévisions will file a complaint against the perpetrators of these facts.
- France Télévisions (@Francetele) July 24, 2021
The prefecture of police of Bouches-du-Rhône also let it be known that it condemned "this act, like any form of attack on press freedom" and provided "its support" to the journalists concerned.
"Break up"
Asked by AFP, one of the two journalists taken to task said that he was at the head of the demonstration, with his colleague, an image reporter, taking pictures of the procession when individuals asked them s 'they were from BFMTV.
The JRI replied "No, it's France 2".
"That's when it got out of hand," said the first journalist who did not wish to be named.
“They insulted us by telling us
Break it up
, kicked JRI to try to bring it down.
I also took a blow to the knee but I did not realize it until later as I was so focused on my JRI which was in front of me for fear that something happened to him, ”he said. told AFP.
At the demonstration against the sanitary pass in Marseille, a team of TV journalists assaulted and chased away.
They are forced to run away.
The nearby police do nothing.
One of the journalists confirmed to me that he had received several blows.
@LeMediaTV pic.twitter.com/8UdQZbGY3X
- Taha Bouhafs 🙋🏽♂️ (@T_Bouhafs) July 24, 2021
On a video posted on Twitter by journalist Taha Bouhafs, we can see the cameraman surrounded and booed by demonstrators.
He is chased down an adjacent street by a group of individuals, one of whom tries to hit him as he starts running to escape them.
Read alsoBehind the sanitary pass, the specter of yellow vests worries the government
The two journalists owed their salvation in particular to the presence of bodyguards who accompany them in this type of demonstration since the movement of yellow vests, according to them.
The video shows one of them protecting the JRI by blocking an aggressive protester.
More than 4,000 people, according to the police, marched Saturday in Marseille against the health pass.
Last Thursday, it was a team from BFM TV, also accompanied by security agents, which had been taken to task by demonstrators and had to leave a rally against the health pass in Paris.
