Darmanin says journalists "should approach" authorities before covering protests

Journalists "must get closer to the authorities" before the events they want to cover in order to be able to "report" and "do their job", Gerald Darmanin said on Wednesday.

During a press conference devoted to the activity of the police, the minister referred to the case of a journalist who had complained of having been threatened with being arrested on Tuesday when the police were dispersed. demonstration organized near the National Assembly against the controversial bill on "global security".

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"Journalists" must approach the authorities to identify themselves, to be protected "

"The demonstration had become illegal since it exceeded the (planned) time and including people who were journalists had to be dispersed," said Gérald Darmanin.

Moreover, this journalist had not, upstream, "approached the police headquarters, unlike some of his colleagues, to cover this demonstration," added the Minister of the Interior. 

When covering the demonstrations, journalists "must approach the authorities, in this case the departmental prefects, particularly here the Paris police prefect, to report themselves, to be protected by the police, to to be able to report, to do his work as a journalist in the demonstrations ", developed the minister, relying on the new plan for the maintenance of order (SNMO) published in September.

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"To avoid confusion during an operation, the national plan for maintaining order that I presented in September provides that journalists can, without having to do so, contact the prefectures before demonstrations ", Gérald Darmanin said in a tweet in the evening.

With regard to demonstrations, this SNMO indeed provides for "a dedicated exchange channel" between the police and "journalists, holders of a press card, accredited to the authorities", without presenting it as compulsory. .

Yes, to avoid confusion during an operation, the national law enforcement plan that I presented in September provides that journalists can, without having to do so, contact the prefectures upstream of demonstrations.

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- Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) November 18, 2020

A sling in the world of the press

This provision had raised a sling in the world of the press, some unions believing that it amounted to giving a "green light" to the police to prevent journalists from doing their job when demonstrations.

Journalists' unions also believe today that the text on "global security" poses a threat to press freedom.

Several journalists also complained Tuesday evening of having been prevented from filming arrests and the dispersal of the demonstration completed after clashes with the police.

One of them, an employee of France Télévisions, was arrested during this demonstration and placed in police custody before being released on Wednesday, denounced the management of the audiovisual group in a press release.