The tea towel burns between Darmanin and the journalists

Journalists film the arrest of a person during a `` yellow vests '' demonstration in 2019 -

• In a report published Tuesday, Amnesty International denounces the arrests of journalists during the “yellow vests” demonstrations.

• While the work of reporters on the ground is already complicated, the publication of the national law enforcement plan a few days ago is raising fears in part of the profession.

• While the minister promised to receive representatives of journalists' companies from several media, the National Union of Journalists and the League of Human Rights have filed a summary before the Council of State.

Covering the movement of "yellow vests" has not always been easy.

Conspired at times by the demonstrators, a number of journalists were also arrested and taken into custody, or "suffered injuries, apparently inflicted by the police," denounces Amnesty International in a published report. this Tuesday.

"The situation is worrying", assures

Anne-Sophie Simpere, responsible for advocacy "freedoms" within the organization.

All the more so as the recent publication of the national law enforcement plan, "which contains specific provisions for journalists", does not help him believe that the situation will improve on the ground.

This document is the result of work initiated in June 2019 by Christophe Castaner.

At the time, a delegation from RSF (Reporter Without Borders) had already informed the former Minister of the Interior "of the catastrophic situation on the ground", explains to

Pauline Adès-Mével, spokesperson for the association.

Presented sixteen months later by his successor, Gérald Darmanin, the national law enforcement plan contains "significant progress", she believes.

It recognizes the "special place of journalists within demonstrations", provides for the designation of a "reference officer within the police force" and the establishment of a "dedicated exchange channel" with journalists. .

"There had to be an exchange on the ground", greets Pauline Adès-Mével.

"Prevent journalists from fully reporting on protests"

But in its current version, the national law enforcement plan is also a source of concern for a large part of the profession and its representatives.

According to the text, journalists covering the demonstrations must be "holders of a press card, and accredited to the authorities".

These accredited professionals will be able to “wear protective equipment, as soon as their identification is confirmed”.

"However, the exercise of the profession of journalist, defined in the Labor Code, does not require the possession of a press card", recall, in a column published in

on September 22, the companies of many journalists. media - including

-, which call on the Interior Ministry to "correct" this text.

Another point of tension.

The national plan of the maintenance of order underlines "that the offense constituted by the fact of remaining in a crowd after summons does not include any exception, including for the benefit of journalists".

For the signatory journalists' companies, it is a "green light granted by the Minister of the Interior to the police to prevent journalists from fully reporting on the demonstrations, including their dispersal or their slippages ”.

"Journalists must be able to observe the action of the police and report what is happening, including at the time of the dispersion," adds Anne-Sophie Simpere.

They do not have to be treated as demonstrators because they have specific missions which fall under the right to inform.

"

Referred to the Council of State

Questioned on September 23 on France Inter, Gérald Darmanin said that it was a "misunderstanding".

"We must perhaps work even more" the text, conceded the first cop in France, who promised to receive soon the representatives of the companies of the journalists who signed the platform published in

.

RSF also asks the minister to "clarify" these contentious points, adds Pauline Adès-Mével.

In the meantime, the SNJ (National Union of Journalists) and the LDH (League of Human Rights) announced in a joint statement on Saturday that they had filed a summary before the Council of State, considering that "the suspension of the 'execution of the national law enforcement plan is imperative ”.

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• Media

• Hurry

• Demonstration

• Interior ministry

• Society

• Gerald Darmanin

• Freedom of press