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Latest update: 17/01/2011
- Freedom of the press - Journalism - National Front party (France)
FRANCE 24 journalist assaulted by National Front security
FRANCE 24’s political correspondent was assaulted by security personnel from France's far-right National Front at a party congress on Saturday. FRANCE 24 has discontinued direct coverage of the congress in Tours.
By FRANCE 24 (text)
Security personnel from France’s far-right National Front (FN) party assaulted a FRANCE 24 correspondent after a private cocktail reception on Saturday during the party’s congress in the central city of Tours.
Political affairs correspondent Mickael Szames, the journalist in question, said eight FN security officers knocked him to the ground and hit him repeatedly for taking pictures at the reception.
“They later took my cellphone and demanded I delete the pictures, which were of no journalistic value whatsoever. They confiscated my press card and my watch,” Szames said in a live broadcast from Tours.
Szames also said guards used racial slurs and verbally abused him when they took him to a security holding room.
“F****** journalist, I’m going to knock your teeth out,” was one threat against him, he said.
Szames was in Tours Saturday to report on the change in the National Front leadership. After 40 years at the helm, Jean-Marie Le Pen handed over the reins to his daughter, Marine. She was elected to replace him with 68 percent of the vote.
Szames said he reported the assault to local police immediately after being released by FN security but the police told him “there was not much they could do inside of the FN” congress.
Szames filed assault charges against the security personnel later that evening and FRANCE 24 has stopped its direct coverage of the party congress.
Alain Vizier, communications director for the National Front, said the party has threatened to file a lawsuit against FRANCE 24 and another French network, i-Tele, for reporting on the assault.
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(7) Reactions
Szames assault by pen's national front
Repression of freedom of the press is carried forward to a new era by a newly (?) configured extreme right in France. Thugs and violence, what's new?
Sounds more like a terrorist
Sounds more like a terrorist organization to me.
France24 journalist accuses?
This story seems not too Kosher! How this uninvited got inside the private Gala ball?
Also, he seems to have been in very good health the next day around Tour's FN Congress!
Is that the usual Provocation, used in France against the FN?
SCANDALE to France, how could
SCANDALE to France, how could it happen in the democracy territory france, it is a crime,FN should be punished and take all the responsibilities for that...it is sad
to greg
@greg: Somebody takes a picture of a party - have you never heard of Facebook?- and they deserve to get BEATEN UP? Sure, the FN could have asked him to leave, escorted him from the premises, but the last time I checked, physically attacking people had no place in a civilised society. Réfléchir avant d'agir
Nothing has changed, FN remains to be the same
France 24 should support its journalist and help him take action against the security personnel of France's far-right National Front. It is an attempt the to press rights, robbery, molesting, racial insults...
In France we have the freedom of speech, not the right to molest and threaten people.
Why the surprise?
Why did he take photos that as he said were of :"which were of no journalistic value whatsoever" ? Then why take them in the first place. It sounds like Mr Szames was there to provoke the kind of response he got.