France: Police Strangles Journalist In Response To Her Press Card
The journalist sustained a contused trachea and bruises on her arms and legs from the attack
Location: France, Marseille
Date: June 27, 2023
Photo Credit: AFP PHOTO / CHRISTOPHE SIMON
Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) officer attacks a woman journalist on her way home and strangles the reporter after seeing her press card. The brutal attack is the latest in an increase in police assaults against media documented by the Coalition For Women In Journalism in France in the past few months. The Ministry of Interior must condemn this worrying trend and take appropriate actions to curb the violence. We also call on the Marseille prosecutor’s office to swiftly identify and hold the officer who attacked the journalist accountable.
On June 27, an unnamed woman journalist was strangled and verbally abused by a riot police officer in Marseille while on her way home during President Emmanuel Macron‘s visit to the city.
Stopped for an identity check, the Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité (CRS) officer became aggressive when discovering the journalist’s press card. As she tried to call her editor for help, the attack escalated, with the officer strangling the journalist.
Over the phone, the editor heard the journalist plea for help while the CRS officer hurled misogynistic insults at her and aggressively demanded she end the call. The officer then seized her belongings and threw them on the ground, leaving the journalist crying and distressed.
The journalist – who works for Made in Marseille - has been placed on medical leave due to her injuries, which include a contused trachea and bruises on her arms and legs.
The editorial team of Made in Marseille released news of the assault ten days after the attack to avoid any confusion between the attack on the journalist and a separate incident the same day in which police killed a teenage boy in Nanterre, which resulted in anti-government demonstrations.
The journalist filed a complaint and reported the incident to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN). Marseille’s prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the assault.
Police aggression toward journalists
In 2023, CFWIJ documented several assaults on women journalists in France. Worryingly, French police officers have routinely acted aggressively toward the press. During pension reform protests in March 2023, police manhandled, strangled, and forcibly arrested journalist Chloé Gence in Paris. In May, journalist Harmony Pondy-Nyaga was assaulted by security personnel and police officers when reporting on a climate demonstration.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is shocked by this vicious assault on the journalist by a riot police officer. We express our support for the journalist, who is physically and mentally scarred due to this horrific crime. The officer acted deplorably, and we call on the French Interior Ministry to condemn the attack. Police violence against journalists cannot be allowed to continue with impunity. Journalists have the right to carry out their work without fear of physical harm or harassment. In light of this alarming assault, the Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly urges the prosecutor's office to swiftly and thoroughly identify the responsible officer and ensure they are held accountable for their actions. Justice must be served to protect the rights and safety of journalists.
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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