Paris (AFP)

More than a hundred demonstrators were gathered on Friday Place des Ternes in Paris, not far from the Salle Pleyel where the César ceremony will take place in the evening, to denounce Roman Polanski and the nominations of "J'accuse".

"We want to challenge the cinema community which can support Adèle Haenel, who denounces the facts of sexual assault and, at the same time, with incredible hypocrisy, supports Roman Polanski," explained Céline Piques, spokesperson for Dare the feminism to an AFP journalist.

The demonstrators launched slogans hostile to the scenario writer like "Polanski rapist, guilty cinema, public accomplice".

Roman Polanski and the team for his film "J'accuse", including actor Jean Dujardin who plays the main role, decided not to attend the César ceremony while his feature film on the Dreyfus Affair has 12 nominations.

Friday morning, the Minister of Culture Franck Riester estimated on France Info that a César for the best director for Roman Polanksi would be "a bad symbol compared to the necessary awareness that we must all have in the fight against sexual violence and sexist ".

Roman Polanski is the subject of several rape charges and is still being prosecuted by the American justice system for illegal sexual relations with a minor in 1977.

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