Brigitte Macron’s great-nephew was beaten in an allegedly politically motivated attack on the fringes of a demonstration against pension reforms in France. The French Première Dame was outraged on Tuesday by the “cowardice, stupidity and violence” of the perpetrators.
President Emmanuel Macron called the attack “unacceptable and unspeakable”. Police arrested eight suspects after Monday night’s incident.
“I have repeatedly denounced this violence, which can only lead to the worst,” said the French President’s wife. Her relative, 30-year-old Jean-Baptiste Trogneux, was beaten by government opponents in Amiens. His father, Jean-Alexandre Trogneux, told AFP that his son was hit in the head, arms and legs.
“He was attacked because he is our grandnephew,” Emmanuel Macron told a Council of Europe summit after arriving in Iceland. “Violence has no place in a democracy,” stressed the French President.
The victim’s father said his son was recognized by a group attending a protest against President Macron’s pension reforms. The attackers beat him in front of his chocolate shop and insulted “the President, his wife and our family” before running away. His son is receiving medical treatment. “You’ve gone too far,” said the father.
Many other politicians also condemned the act. “Yes to democratic debate, no to violence and terror,” said Eric Ciotti, head of the conservative Les Républicains party. The left-wing politician Alexis Corbière spoke of a “cowardly act”.
The attack happened shortly after a TV interview with Macron. The eight suspects arrested by the police were still in custody, according to a police officer on Tuesday. According to Jean-Alexandre Trogneux, those arrested are six men and two women.
The reform of the pension system in France implemented by Macron includes, among other things, raising the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. The law has been causing protests in France for months. More than two thirds of the French reject the pension reform. (AFP)
