in court, the fragile file of Thomas, who denounces a “political arrest”

“I’m going to be extremely quick.” The president of the 23rd chamber of the Paris criminal court does not hide her annoyance. Between two cases of resale of crack and driving without a license with refusal to comply, she must judge, Wednesday March 22, a young man of 25 years arrested Monday “at 10:50 p.m.” place de la Bastille, in Paris, on the sidelines of the demonstration against the pension reform. After 48 hours in police custody, Thomas * is part of the immediate appearances of the day.

“You were arrested after being seen building a barricade and setting it on fire at the corner of rue Saint-Sabin and rue du Chemin-Vert”, reads the magistrate, her nose in her sheets. According to “question sheet”the police recognized him thanks to his red jogging with white stripes, which he still wears in the box.

Eight-month suspended prison sentence required

The defendant refused to speak in custody. At the hearing, this young dark-haired man with short hair gives his version of the facts: “I deny setting fire to a barricade. The protest lasted long enough, I think I was spotted several times with these pants”, he replies. According to his account, he was arrested while crossing “a pedestrian crossing to go home”.

The president approaches her personality at a run. Originally from Grenoble, Thomas is “roofer for two years”won “2,300 euros per month” and lives in “sublet” at the house of “a colleague”. He was sentenced to a citizenship internship and a suspended fine in March 2021 for similar acts, committed in April 2018.

Now for the indictment. “We have the right to express our opinions, to disagree, but we do not have the right to commit offenses”, attacks the prosecutor. For the prosecution, “this offense is perfectly characterized”based on the statements of “the arresting officer”. “It was the gentleman who was building the barricade and setting it on fire. We did not arrest him at the other end of Paris, but very close and his clothing made it possible to recognize him”develops the magistrate, requesting eight months of suspended prison sentence, “a warning sentence”.

“Society cannot tolerate people being put in danger. These fires could reach buildings, street furniture.”

The prosecutor

during his indictment

The defense attorney pleads “the relax”. According to Marie Weessa, “the only item in this folder” is based on the statement of a police officer. “There is no contradictory element, it is the most total vagueness”, she continues. As for “that red jogger”, it does not appear on the CCTV images used in this case. And the lighter found on his client? “Mister smokes and needs it for his job”, replies the lawyer. On the evening of the facts, “He has no gloves, no helmet, no trace of burns, no hiding of his face… There is nothing to enter into condemnation!”hammers the criminal lawyer, denouncing a “context where arrests are instrumentalised”.

“Here, it’s not a political forum”

And Marie Weessa to add to the address of the court: “You have to judge citizens who take to the streets and who exercise their most fundamental right. Even people who go out to jog are [interpellés]and we do the sorting afterwards.” His client speaks again, one last time.

“Despite the repression, we will continue to mobilize against this reform and the government. I have the impression that my arrest is political.”

Thomas*, warned

before the tribunal

The president snaps at him: “Here, we are in a correctional court which judges offences, it is not a political forum.” After a hearing suspension, Thomas is released, for lack of sufficient evidence. The five other “events” files of the day are postponed to a later date.

*Name has been changed.