France - Scandal As President Macron’s Security Is Filmed Beating Protesters (Video)

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Another week, another French scandal apparently. After riots in Nantes two weeks ago and sexual assault during the World Cup celebrations earlier this week, this time it is the security personnel to President Macron who are in trouble after they were identified in the French press as having beaten up protesters for no apparent reason.

A video that has been online since a few months is now being looked at with a closer eye after French prosecutors admitted that a man wearing a police helmet and beating up protesters during a Parisian 1 May rally was a member of the personal security team of the President, which would be a breach of his duties.

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The man, known as Mr Alexandre Benalla (whose main duty is to arrange security for the president's visits and engagements), could be seen targeting a woman and a man during the May Day protests.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">Le silence complice de <a href="https://twitter.com/MarleneSchiappa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarleneSchiappa</a> sur le <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BenallaGate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BenallaGate</a> !<br>Non seulement <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Benalla?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Benalla</a> agresse une femme dans la rue mais en plus, il est couvert, par le Président &amp; ses hauts-fonctionnaires qui auraient dû dénoncés immédiatement ces violences faites à une femme. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blablacratie?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Blablacratie</a> <a href="https://t.co/dwPb4sX8tt">pic.twitter.com/dwPb4sX8tt</a></p>&mdash; Patrick Edery (@patrick_edery) <a href="https://twitter.com/patrick_edery/status/1020184842686869504?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Mr Benalla has worked for Mr Macron for a few years already. Before he joined the presidential staff at the Parisian Elysée after Mr Macron’s electoral win last year, he had the role of head of security during the election campaign of 2017.

Related coverage: https://thegoldwater.com/news/31636-France-Hundreds-Complain-Of-Sexual-Assault-During-World-Cup-Celebrations-Video#31683

After French newspaper Le Monde identified him, they interviewed France's Interior Minister, Mr Gerard Collomb who admitted that both Mr Benalla and another member of Mr Macron’s security team could be seen in the video and that "these two people had no legal right to intervene."

Related coverage: http://thegoldwater.com/news/31402-France-Rioting-and-Violence-In-Paris-After-World-Cup-Win-Video

Speaking to French radio, the activist Mr Taha Bouhafs who put the images online claimed that "the man on the ground was harmless and begged Benalla to stop. There is no explanation for this outburst of violence."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="fr" dir="ltr">🔴🔴🔴🔴 ALERTA VIOLENCES POLICIÈRES <br><br>DES POLICIERS TABASSENT ET GAZENT TOUT LE MONDE PLACE CONTREESCARPE !!<br>FAITES TOURNER IL FAUT QUE TOUT LE MONDE VOIT !!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ViolencesPolicieres?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ViolencesPolicieres</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/1erMai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#1erMai</a> <a href="https://t.co/Dabr6HHwyJ">pic.twitter.com/Dabr6HHwyJ</a></p>&mdash; Taha Bouhafs🔻 (@T_Bouhafs) <a href="https://twitter.com/T_Bouhafs/status/991381135631486976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>

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The scandal has become known as ‘Benallagate’ and many leftwing politicians are urging President Macron to react.

Source:

http://www.liberation.fr/france/2018/07/19/affaire-alexandre-benalla-macron-dans-l-esquive_1667521