A police officer. (illustration) - ALLILI MOURAD / SIPA

  • The prefect of Doubs, Joël Mathurin, requested the opening of an administrative investigation, following homophobic remarks that a police officer allegedly made during a demonstration of "yellow vests" in Besançon, last January 25.
  • The scene was filmed by a journalist from Radio BIP / Média 25, an associative media in Franche-Comté.
  • The sequence sparked outrage on networks and LGBT associations have stepped up to the plate.

The prefect of Doubs, Joël Mathurin, requested the opening of an administrative investigation, following homophobic remarks that a police officer allegedly made during a demonstration of "yellow vests" in Besançon, last January 25.

Protesters gathered outside the city police station that day to support two of their detainees earlier today. The scene was filmed by a journalist Radio BIP / Média 25, an associative media in Franche-Comté. We see a young demonstrator being sprayed with tear gas by a police officer. The protesters responded by chanting slogans against the police.

Journalist maintains version

He shouted homophobic insults before threatening him, tells journalist Emma Audrey at 20 Minutes . "We felt that he was very angry, then an officer dismissed him," she says. Was he a police officer? "I was filming with a microphone pointed at the policeman because I saw that the young demonstrator was isolated". She maintains her version, questioned by a police source in L'Est Républicain.

Dispersion without drowning of the demonstrators with tear gas canisters and (what seems to be) a disarming grenade thrown at head level, gassing at close range and homophobic insults in front of the police station, on January 25, 2020. Welcome to # Besançon pic .twitter.com / hVR5FpKpVC

- Emma Audrey (@emma_audrey_fr) January 27, 2020

"I attended the scene, I have been a professional journalist for over ten years, I do not understand why they [the police] do not assume," she said. The sequence sparked outrage on the networks and many Internet users asked the competent authorities to react. "This is a behavior that often happens during demonstrations," observes Emma Audrey, who says she is "surprised" by the virality of her video.

"No breach of ethics can be tolerated"

The images from Radio Bip / Média 25 have also raised the profile of LGBT associations, including SOS homophobia which denounces "unacceptable comments" and Flag which fights against discrimination against LGBT + within the police.

No mobilization, no difficult context can tolerate all forms of expression of homophobia, whether it comes from a few activists or unionists or in the present case from a police officer.
FLAG! firmly condemns them and seizes the DDSP @ PoliceNat25
cc @CCastaner https://t.co/8vFykyURbV

- FLAG! (@flagasso) January 27, 2020

"The prefect does not underestimate the climate of tension that existed during this confrontation, but no breach of ethics can not be tolerated," said 20 minutes the prefecture of Doubs. Which specifies that an investigation was opened as soon as the prefect and his chief of staff learned of the "Sunday evening" video.

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  • Journalist
  • homophobia
  • Police
  • Media
  • Society
  • Demonstration
  • LGBT
  • Yellow vests