Demonstrations: Investigations of Macron's security personnel multiply

Stand: 17:03 | Reading time: 3 minutes

D The case of the abuses inflicted on an officer French presidential office security expands. According to information from the AFP news agency on Friday, the chief of staff of President Emmanuel Macron, Patrick Strzoda, was questioned on Thursday about this. Meanwhile, there have been some criticisms of the government's actions on the issue

The scandal began this week with the publication of several videos by the newspaper Le Monde. It shows how security personnel Alexandre Benalla vigorously beat the rally participants on May 1 in Paris. He was wearing a police helmet, although he was not a policeman. According to government sources, he had only permission "to observe police operations".

Friday, the police arrested the man. The prosecution accuses him, among other things, as a public official used violence and spent as a police officer. In addition, he illegally obtained video footage from surveillance cameras in the city of Paris. In this context, three police officers were temporarily suspended. They reportedly fled the recordings to Benalla

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb strongly condemned the behavior of the three officials on Friday. On Thursday, he had already announced a police surveillance investigation to determine the circumstances in which the incident occurred on 1 May.

The Senate invited Collomb to a hearing next week. Opposition members called for the resignation of Collomb when he became aware of the incident and did nothing.

The repression of the popular rue Mouffetard on the Left Bank had become public the day after the demonstration. According to the presidency, Benalla was suspended without pay for two weeks in May and transferred to the administration.

However, anyone who knew the exact incident was not clear in the beginning. The prosecution was initially uninformed. It is only Friday that the Elysee announced the dismissal of Benalla for trying to conceal the scandal.

According to Le Monde, Benalla obtained an expensive apartment and a car with driver despite his suspension. The BFM news broadcaster reported that Benalla had been reinstated as a security guard this week – during the Champs Elysees victory parade celebrating the victory of the French national team in the World Cup in Russia

, in the service of the president in the demonstrations of May 1 exceeded his powers. He is also in custody. The cooperation with this employee of the ruling Republican Party of the Republic (LREM) has come to an end, said a government spokesman

Benalla was responsible for Macron's security during the presidential campaign last year and worked at the Palais de l'Elysée after his election. Previously, he briefly worked for former President Francois Hollande, but was suspended after only a week. "He caused an accident as a driver and then tried to escape," said former Dutch Minister Arnaud Montebourg.

Macron did not comment on the question at first. Several newspapers and politicians of all sides have criticized the government's behavior in this area and the silence of the president, who promised to restore morality and transparency to French politics when he took office

. Macron is currently facing a political crisis, "because he has not managed to immediately solve a problem of discipline," said the conservative daily Le Figaro on Friday: "Without the publication of the newspaper Le Monde, the case would not have been revealed. "