Paris (AFP)

For his first day inside, Gérald Darmanin had to face the anger of feminists on Tuesday, some of whom tried to disrupt the handover with his predecessor, by calling for the resignation of the minister targeted by a rape complaint.

The first of its missions is to renew the link with the police after the sharp criticisms which targeted Christophe Castaner. But his appointment is controversial when the former Minister of Public Accounts is the subject of a rape complaint, which he refutes.

Monday evening, the entourage of Emmanuel Macron, who made "the exemplary Republic" his creed, sought to sweep away any possible controversy on the subject: "things seem to be going in the right direction", this complaint "n ' did not hinder his appointment, "said the president's entourage. But this comment immediately sparked the "anger" of feminists.

The first action took place during the handover of power when about twenty feminists tried to approach the gates of the ministry, before being stopped by the police.

Chanting "Darmanin resignation" and "Darmanin rapist", they held up signs saying: "Darmanin inside, you are waking up to our complaints".

At the same time, Christophe Castaner was setting out in front of Gérald Darmanin the three projects he was "proud" to have launched: the diagram relating to the maintenance of order, the white paper on internal security but above all, "the fight against sexual and gender-based violence. "

- "conflict of interest" -

Then in front of the Elysee Palace where the first Council of Ministers of the new government was held, three Femen activists managed to approach the presidential palace before being removed from it.

Later, in front of the Madeleine church, around fifty activists from the #Noustoutes collective, dressed in black, proceeded to the symbolic burial of equality between men and women, declared by the executive to be "great cause of the quinquennium" .

Emmanuel Macron "has once again lost all legitimacy to speak of gender-based and sexual violence," a group official launched before journalists. "With the appointment of Gérald Darmanin", this "great cause" "has suffered a fatal blow," she insisted.

At the end of this gathering, roses were placed in front of a coffin overhung by a giant black eagle on which was inscribed the name of the new minister. "The rape culture is on the move," chanted the activists.

Mr. Darmanin was accused of rape by a woman in 2017. Initially discontinued, the procedure was restarted by the Paris Court of Appeal, which asked for new investigations in early June.

In the court of Beauvau, Tuesday morning, while the old and the new tenants exchanged in an office, police worried, on condition of anonymity, of the consequences of this affair.

Some people did not imagine how it could be possible that the police could hear the Minister on this file. "It's a bit of a conflict of interest," said one.

The pitfall could be avoided if an investigating judge decided to hear the minister himself, a magistrate told AFP.

The lawyers for Mr. Darmanin's accuser told AFP their "dismay". "How can we not fear now that the function of the defendant weighs on the whole procedure?", They questioned.

In response to questions from the press, the new government spokesman Gabriel Attal defended the "presumption of innocence" due to his colleague.

Feminists have also given voice against Eric Dupond-Moretti appointed Keeper of the Seals, calling him an "accomplice". They accuse him of "disinterest and attacks" against the words of women victims of violence.

In Lyon, they were a hundred to protest with placards proclaiming in particular "Interior rapist", "hypocritical Macron", "Freedom, equality, impunity", and chanting "an interior rapist, an accomplice to Justice ".

In Lille, between 130 and 150 people gathered in the early evening on the Place de la République to denounce the "shame reshuffle".

sm-grd-jlo-alh / blb

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