Journalists targeted during protests across France

In a single day, around 15 journalists were subjected to violence or prevented from doing their jobs in cities across France, including Nantes, Grenoble, Paris, Lyon and Marseille. The incidents recorded on 17 October follow a series of attacks previously documented by RSF: at least 12 journalists were subjected to violence during high school student protests between 29 September and 8 October. These latest attacks on press freedom highlight both the persistence of police practices that run counter to France's National Law Enforcement Plan (SNMO), which RSF has previously condemned, and growing hostility towards the media, which is now manifesting itself in violence on the ground. According to a survey conducted by the daily newspaper La Croix, 61% of people in France believe that media coverage of major current affairs should be treated with suspicion.

17 October: Journalists injured and reporting obstructed by law enforcement

In Montpellier, freelance photojournalist Ricardo Parreira was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet fired from a police launcher, leaving him unable to work for two days. According to his account, a police officer standing just a few metres away deliberately aimed at him, even though he was alone, carrying a camera and wearing a helmet clearly marked "Press" in several places. Unable to walk, he was forced to stop working and wait for emergency services. Mathias Enthoven, a journalist and co-founder of the online news outlet Blast, was hospitalised after being struck in the abdomen by a police grenade. Adrien Pittore, a journalist and photographer for the Sipa Press news agency, also reported that a riot police officer aimed a rubber-bullet launcher at him, despite being clearly identifiable as a journalist and having shown his press card.

Several journalists were also prevented from covering law enforcement operations. According to a journalist at the scene, at around 11 a.m. on Rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, reporters from several news outlets were denied access to the area where one such operation was taking place, despite showing their press cards and assignment letters.

Police checks also resulted in obstruction of journalists' work. Near Gare de Lyon station, at around 10 a.m., a journalist from the online news outlet StreetPress wassearched in the presence of around 20 police officers. Later that morning, a journalist from Blast had all her protective equipment confiscated, despite showing her press card. According to the outlet, officers justified the confiscation by citing a prefectural order issued the previous day that prohibited wearing certain types of protective equipment or covering one's face without a legitimate reason.

However, the SNMO allows journalists to wear protective equipment and enter security cordons to cover protests. It also permits them to continue reporting during crowd dispersal operations, provided they are clearly distinguishable from protestors and do not obstruct law enforcement operations.

Intimidation and assaults by protestors and other individuals

Journalists also faced violence from individuals attempting to prevent them from reporting events. In Rennes, on the evening of 17 October, Rosie Birchard, Europe correspondent for the Qatar-based 24-hour news channel Al Jazeera English, was repeatedly confronted by masked men while covering the looting of a shop. One of them ordered her to move away and film elsewhere. As she began to leave, a projectile struck her in the head, although she was wearing a protective helmet.

On Boulevard de Magenta in Paris, Estelle Nilsson-Julien, a journalist for the European 24-hour news channel Euronews, and her cameraman were surrounded by rioters while covering the protests. The individuals seized their camera and attempted to assault them before returning their equipment and letting them leave.

Freelance journalist Emma Audrey was also assaulted in Paris by a man who attempted to destroy her camera. According to her account, he pulled on her monopod in an attempt to knock over her equipment, then struck her when she tried to protect it. She suffered a wrist injury and reported that her camera and lens had been smashed, leaving her unable to use them for work. Her helmet was marked "Independent Journalist".

In Grenoble, a video journalist working for the independent online news outlet Place Gre'net was violently assaulted while filming shops being looted. According to the information gathered, two individuals struck him from behind with an electric scooter, knocked him to the ground and beat him. One of them grabbed his camera and fled. Passers-by reportedly recovered the camera, which appeared to have been damaged after being thrown against a shop window. The assault forced the journalist to stop reporting.

RSF has documented several other cases of violence against journalists during the 17 October protests, including attacks on teams from several media outlets owned by the CMA Média group, such as La Provence and BFMTV, in Paris, Nantes and Marseille. Media premises were also targeted. That morning, around 100 people blocked access to the car park at the Lagardère News headquarters in Paris's 15th arrondissement. The building houses the newsrooms of Europe 1, Le Journal du Dimanche and CNews, among others. They threw projectiles and smashed windows.

Since publishing its previous statement on attacks against journalists covering recent student protests, RSF has gathered new testimonies, including that of Miguel Martinez, a correspondent for the Mexican television channel Canal Catorce. He was reportedly struck several times with a baton during a police charge against protestors while covering high school student protests in Paris on 6 October. On 13 October, at 5:20 p.m., Anthony Monnerot, a journalist for the news website Line Press, was injured in the leg by a GL-304 stun grenade near Les Invalides in Paris.

If you are a journalist who has been subjected to violence while reporting or if you have witnessed attempts to obstruct a journalists' right to inform during these protests, please contact RSF at: [email protected].