An investigation opened in Paris after the attack on AFP journalists during an anti-vaccination pass rally

The investigations were entrusted to the Brigade for the repression of delinquency against persons. An investigation was opened on Wednesday for “aggravated intentional violence” after the attack on January 15 of a team of Agence France-Presse which covered an anti-vaccination pass rally, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Friday January 21. This investigation is also open for “threats” and “obstructing the exercise of freedom”.

During this demonstration organized by the movement of the Patriots of Florian Philippot, two image reporter journalists (JRI) from AFP and their two security guards were violently attacked by a group of about fifty people, identified as far-right. According to journalists, these people tried to attack the AFP videographer, responding to the call of a hooded individual with a megaphone.

Protection officers intervened, but were beaten with truncheons. The team received death threats and one of the security guards was hit in the head with a bottle, resulting in a skull wound.

“AFP denounces the trivialization of attacks, verbal and now physical, against its teams and is concerned about the new level of violence reached”, said Sunday the CEO of the agency, Fabrice Fries. This is the second assault by an agency team covering protests against the health pass in the space of a few months. In July 2021, two JRIs had received spitting and insults during a previous demonstration organized by Florian Philippot.