France: Militarized Police Threaten Journalist Adeline Percept and Colleague at Nuclear Plant
French Gendarmerie forced the journalists to delete their footage, threatening to end their careers
Location: France, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux
Date: November 5, 2023
The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns the conduct of the Gendarmerie towards Adeline Percept and Thomas Chantepie of Swiss public broadcaster Radio-Télévision Suisse (RTS). The journalists were reporting near a nuclear power plant when officers coerced them to delete their video footage, threatening arrest and to end their careers. This alarming incident echoes a troubling pattern in France, where CFWIJ has noted multiple instances of assault, threats, and violence against the press by law enforcement in 2023. We call for an urgent, transparent investigation into the actions of the Gendarmerie officers.
While reporting near the Tricastin nuclear power plant on September 15, six officers abruptly encircled journalists Adeline Percept and Thomas Chantepie of Swiss RTS stationed on a public road. Percept described the incident to CFWIJ as 'psychologically violent,' citing their threatening demeanor. Without providing identification or details about what laws the reporters had broken, the officers demanded the deletion of their footage.
Percept recalls the tense encounter. “Six guys with military outfits, which were not recognizable. In France, the gendarmerie has specific uniforms. These were not the ones the officers were wearing. They approached us and encircled us. They took our passports, press cards, and claimed we had no right to film the nuclear plant.”
The journalist, who collaborates with Swiss and Belgian public broadcasters, explains that she and her colleague were not breaching the nuclear site's perimeter. They had just completed an interview near the Donzère-Mondragon canal, discussing the condition of the River Rhône.
The gendarme officers focused their attention on Percept’s colleague who had a camera saying, “You must erase every footage you have in this camera. If you don't, you will be blacklisted. You won't be able to be a journalist anymore here in France.”
The RTS reporters complied and deleted the footage they had recorded.
“When the officer says, “You will be blacklisted. You won’t be able to be a journalist here,” it’s a very clear threat to us”
“As a foreign correspondent for foreign press in France, you rely on accreditation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a press card,” explains Percept. “When the officer says, "You will be blacklisted. You won't be able to be a journalist here," it's a very clear threat to us.”
The menacing nature of the encounter left the journalists shocked and doubting the authenticity of the officers involved. 'I didn't believe it. I mean, I didn't believe they were Gendarmes,' says Percept. The reporters immediately reported the incident to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Despite their doubts, the Gendarmerie press department confirmed the involvement of its officers to RSF. However, they are denying its officers behaved inappropriately toward the reporters. The officers claimed the incident was an 'identity check' due to a supposed parking violation, which was refuted by GPS evidence showing the journalists were parked in a shopping center parking lot.
“They basically had to admit that they were Gendarmes, but they will not admit what happened. And so, they lied,” says Percept. She laments that they have no recording of the incident to help prove their allegations.
On November 5, 2023, Swiss public broadcaster RTS and Reporters Without Borders filed a formal complaint against the Gendarmerie (branch of the French armed forces) for their aggressive behavior towards RTS journalists Adeline Percept and Thomas Chantepie.
The Paris prosecutor is now investigating the complaint filed by Percept’s employer and press freedom organization RSF.
Percept's motivation for publicizing and speaking out about the incident was primarily driven by her concerns regarding the increasing difficulties faced by journalists in France.
Over the past year, CFWIJ has documented several cases of women journalists being attacked, obstructed, and wrongfully detained by French law enforcement. In a shocking case in Marseille, an unnamed woman journalist was strangled and verbally abused by a Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) officer after showing him her press card. The journalist was left with a contused trachea and bruises on her arms and legs. During pension reform protests in March 2023, police manhandled, strangled, and forcibly arrested journalist Chloé Gence in Paris.
“Many gendarmes and private security officers don't know the law,” says Percept. “They don't know what to do with journalists.”
“Many gendarmes and private security officers don’t know the law. They don’t know what to do with journalists”
Although most of these press violations have occurred during protests, Percept says working as a journalist in France, in general, is becoming more and more difficult. She worries about the press's shrinking access to certain areas, including the presidency. She notes that bureaucracy and increased security, exacerbated since the 2015 terrorist attacks, have made doing her job more and more challenging. “Citizens must know that doing very simple reports and very simple things can be a nightmare here in France,” explains Percept.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly denounces the behavior of the Gendarmerie officers toward Adeline Percept and Thomas Chantepie. Forcing reporters to delete their footage is unacceptable. The Gendarmerie has not been able to provide evidence of the journalists breaking any laws; they were well within their rights to film footage on a public road outside the perimeter of the nuclear plant. Law enforcement must respect the right of the press to report and not abuse their position of power to intimidate journalists. We stand in solidarity with Percept and Chantepie and urge the Paris prosecutor to open an investigation, holding the offending officers accountable.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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