Four trade unionists of the CGT, prosecuted for "violence in meetings" against the deputy National Gathering (RN) North Sebastien Chenu, were released Wednesday by the Criminal Court of Valenciennes, AFP learned from lawyers.
A dozen policemen intervened to protect the elected
The four activists were suspected of violently excluding the elected RN from an event organized in March 2018 in Valenciennes by the CGT Métallurgie. From the beginning of this rally, protesting against plant closures, job cuts and relocations and demanding a better collective bargaining agreement, Sébastien Chenu had been asked to leave, had been hustled and entrenched in an agency. of travel. A dozen policemen intervened to protect him.
At the hearing, the four trade unionists "admitted that they were present at the demonstration", but assured "that there was a crowd movement, and that in no case did they violate Sébastien Chenu ", told AFP their lawyer Frank Berton Wednesday. According to him, "there were no cameras at the time of the altercation". Sébastien Chenu, "observing at the police station photographs of this event", had at first "formally identified three people". He was then "summoned for a confrontation" and assured "formally recognize" the fourth defendant in a CGT support rally in front of the police station, detailed the lawyer.
Sébastien Chenu "deplores" this relaxe
"It was word for word," said Berton. An assistant of Sébastien Chenu "explained that at the time of the crowd movement, she had lost sight of the deputy, and could not have witnessed the facts," said Mr. Berton. "On several occasions, and in a perfectly detailed manner, Mr. Chenu recognized the four defendants" and "for him, that was no doubt," reacted to AFP David Dassa-Le Deist, lawyer of the elected RN.
"We deplore" this release, "which is almost an incentive to continue this kind of intimidation on the elected members of the National Assembly," he continued, recalling that the prosecutor's office had required hours of community service. "I hope the prosecution will appeal because we have still molested a member of the Republic, who had donned his scarf tricolor," he concluded.