Amiens: a "dropout" of Macron portrait released by justice

A 19-year-old student from Lille, tried for "theft" after having won the portrait of Emmanuel Macron at the town hall of Amiens in early March, was released Tuesday by the criminal court, the prosecution immediately announcing that he was appealing. The Amiens Criminal Court estimated, in its deliberations on Tuesday, that "the criminalization of theft would be disproportionate to the right to freedom of expression". 

During the hearing, on March 23, the young dropout received the support of the leader of rebellious France Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the candidate of the union of the left and environmentalists for the regional, Karima Delli, who had gone there.

On March 6, the young man had symbolically chosen the city of origin of Emmanuel Macron, where the head of state had also launched his movement "On the march", to win the presidential portrait in town hall.

In addition to the criminalization of "theft", he was also prosecuted for "refusal to submit to a biological sample".

Wave of actions "Let's go Macron"

This action of "non-violent civil disobedience" was part of the wave of "Unhook Macron" actions initiated by the ANV-COP21 collective, to "alert and denounce the inaction of the government in the face of global warming", according to a press release from this organization. "In view of the decisions rendered on appeal on other jurisdictions, I inform you that the Amiens prosecutor's office is appealing this day of this decision to release," announced in a press release, the Amiens prosecutor Alexandre de Bosschère.

In September, eight people had for example been sentenced by the Bordeaux Court of Appeal to fines ranging from 250 to 600 euros, suspended for three of them, for "theft" and "complicity in theft in a meeting". The Paris Court of Appeal reduced the sentence of seven environmental activists in December, sentencing them to a suspended fine of 500 euros, against 500 euros firm at first instance.