Far from the expected clichés. Several demonstrators, including the 38-year-old woman suspected of having hit a firefighter, are summoned this Wednesday, May 4, to appear immediately after the violence committed on the sidelines of the May 1 parade in Paris. A total of 47 people were taken into custody on Sunday.
Several have already appeared on Tuesday before the Paris Criminal Court. Three young students were thus judged in immediate appearance. At the helm, like thenoted a journalist from franceinfo at the Paris court, these defendants thwarted the image of “black blocks” advanced by some: the latter had unexpected profiles, far from professional thugs. In the box, the three defendants, three friends in their twenties, looking young, look good. All are brilliant students: in commerce for one, in political science for the others.
Sunday May 1, they say they came to listen to Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s speech, Republic Square, then having followed the procession peacefully. One admits having given the police the middle finger. “It was stupid“, he said to the court. But all formally deny having committed violence. “I have a grandfather and a military uncle, one of them said. I respect the uniform.” “If we were black blocks, thugs, we would never have filmed and taken pictures during the demonstrationanother pleads.
“You were dressed in black…with hoods and masks. It was no coincidence“, points out the prosecutor. But like the other defendants who marched to the bar, none has a criminal record. Finally, two of them were released, the third was fined 500 euros for “contempt of a person depositary of public authority”, in particular for having several fingers of honor to the police.Against the three defendants, the prosecutor had requested hours of community service.
In total, seven people were presented on Tuesday for immediate appearance. Four asked for the dismissal of their trial and were placed under judicial supervision. Only one young woman, accustomed to demonstrations, had already received a legal warning. But all appeared that day for the first time in their lives before a court.