The passing of a Macron guard against protesters puts the French government in check – 07/23/2018

The blows that a bodyguard of President Emmanuel Macron gave to a protester during a march on May 1 put the French government in check. Yesterday, after the recent broadcast of a video revealing the episode the Minister of the Interior, Gerard Collomb, defended his administration when he was questioned by MPs in Parliament .

Before the questions of the legislators of a special commission of inquiry, Collomb declared to have read about the video in which he is seen chief of the security of the palace of the Elysee, Alexandre Benalla , hitting a protester the next day, but that it was not up to him to alert the court.

"It is not up to the minister to do that," said Mr. Collomb, noting, however, that his services have reported the existence of this video to the police chief and police services. the presidency the same day.

He thought, as usual, that the appropriate measures were being taken, that it was up to them to apply sanctions and possibly to inform the judicial authorities, "said the Minister

Collomb said that he did not speak directly about this case with Macron – who fed the criticism of the president – but this Monday, a spokesman for the government simply said that the president, who believes that the alleged facts Benalla they are "unacceptable", "determined to establish the truth".

The Benalla case was revealed last week after the newspaper The World released the video in which we can see this man, equipped with a police helmet, knock a protester who was already on the ground

A second video, released Friday, shows in more detail this responsibility of Macron pushing a girl by the neck and then hitting a young man at a demonstration in Paris

" Benalla is stunned by the media and political use of his action May 1, 2018 against two troublemakers who badaulted the police, "said his lawyers Monday in a statement sent to TF1, in which they complain that by attacking the former head of security of the Elysee " they want to harm the Presidency. "

His lawyers say that he" took the initiative to strengthen the apparatus and helped to reduce these people "to the demonstration by" a vigorous but conducted action without violence and without injuring. "Benalla is accused of acts of violence, among other charges.

Benalla was responsible for the security of Macron during the presidential campaign, before d & # 39; to be named "chef de mission" at the Elysée

The opposition accuses the Macron government of wanting to cover Benalla and Vincent Crase, an employee of the LREM presidential party, who also appears in the videos that shake the demonstrators.

Both men were indicted Sunday Justice with the charge of "violence of "Three policemen have also been accused of transmitting images of security cameras in Benalla

Every day since this scandal was revealed, new revelations have been made about the privileges of Benalla. , who at 26, was attached to the chief of staff of the presidency, responsible for security duties, had an office at the Elysee and credentials to access the Assembly national.

According to the Weekly The Diary of the Sunday, Emmanuel Macron spoke on the phone with Benalla – who was fired on Friday – after the revelation of the World. Previously, Benalla had only been sanctioned by a fifteen-day suspension and rebadignment.

A spokesman for the presidency said Thursday that after May 1, Benalla had been "relieved of his duties in travel security". The same thing appears however in several recent images accompanying Macron or the presidential couple.

"The Elysee must give an explanation", said Monday the leader of the far right, Marine Le Pen, who felt that the presidency might have wanted to conceal the facts, while the leader of the radical left, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, considered that this case was "at the Watergate". [19659023] Marine Le Pen, leader of the far right in France, said that "the Elysee must give an explanation" for the conduct of the Benalla case. / EFE ” observer=”” data-observer-function=”loadLazyImg”/>