Europe 1 with AFP 06:46, January 17, 2022

The Minister of the Interior on Sunday asked the Paris police headquarters to report to justice after the dissemination of a photo of a group of far-right activists. He suspects them of having paraded in Paris on Saturday making Nazi salutes, according to photographs taken on the sidelines of the demonstration.

Gérald Darmanin asked the Paris police headquarters on Sunday to report to justice after the publication of a photo of a group of far-right activists, suspected of having marched in Paris on Saturday giving Nazi salutes. . "This photo taken on the sidelines of the anti-pass demonstration of the so-called 'Patriots' movement shocks a lot, and rightly so. At my request, the Prefecture of Police has reported to the Justice so that all the necessary follow-up can be taken" , tweeted the Minister of the Interior.

This photo taken on the sidelines of the anti-pass demonstration of the so-called "Patriots" movement shocks many, and rightly so.

At my request, the Prefecture of Police made a report to the Justice so that all the necessary follow-up could be taken.

pic.twitter.com/NrgLKpYCFq

– Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) January 16, 2022

The photo freezes most of the members of the procession with their arms outstretched, raised towards the sky, which could suggest the posture of Nazi salutes, which is not established at this stage.

Others could see it as a "clapping", a ritual of supporters to applaud a team during play or at the end of a match.

On the photo, in particular broadcast on the Telegram loop "Ouest Casual" popular with the identity movement but also on Twitter, several dozen people, dressed in black and hooded for some, parade behind a banner "liberties are not granted, they get caught", a quote from the anti-Semitic writer Charles Maurras.

Two AFP journalists taken to task

"White Block of 200 nationalists at the demonstration against the health pass", is thus captioned the photo on "Ouest Casual". "Following the minister's tweet, the prosecution received the report from the police headquarters and will decide what action to take," confirmed the PP. On Saturday, two image reporter journalists (JRI) from AFP, as well as their two close protection guards, were violently attacked by a group of around fifty people, identified as far-right, while they were covering the anti-vaccination pass rally organized by Les Patriotes. 

AFP will file a complaint for "intentional violence in meetings", "death threats" and "obstructing freedom of expression" after the attack on one of its teams, announced its CEO Fabrice Fries.