Euronews Crew Assaulted During Paris Protests

On a Saturday in Paris, a Euronews team covering joint demonstrations organized by the “Yellow Vests” and student groups was attacked near Place de la République. While moving from the square, the crew encountered masked looters who were robbing an Intermarché Express on Boulevard de Magenta. The assailants struck the cameraman, attempted to seize his microphone, and pushed him against a wall. The correspondent and the cameraman sustained bruises; the cameraman’s protective gear prevented serious injury. Their camera was stolen during the scuffle but later recovered by other youths, albeit without the memory card, resulting in the loss of all recorded footage.

Euronews

The protests, which began earlier in the day with relatively calm rallies, escalated into violent confrontations in the area surrounding the supermarket. Eyewitnesses reported fires and loud police sirens. A separate incident involved a masked individual slapping another Euronews correspondent’s head while she interviewed a protester, reflecting a broader hostility toward media presence. Social-media posts preceding the unrest urged participants to target journalists to stop “the spread of misinformation” about the protests.

Euronews

Euronews correspondent Estelle Nilsson-Julien described the scene as “anarchy in the streets,” noting that many young people appeared ready for confrontation and looting. She emphasized that the earlier calm had completely dissipated in that locale. Valerie Gauriat, another Euronews reporter on the ground, recounted being verbally abused and physically struck, underscoring the perceived threat to media workers.

Euronews

• “We were standing on Boulevard de Magenta, not far from a supermarket that was being looted by young people, young adults, teenagers. When they saw we were filming, they started hitting my cameraman and attempted to take his microphone and they encircled us,” — Estelle Nilsson-Julien, Euronews’ correspondent in Paris

Euronews

The assault highlights the heightened risk journalists face when covering volatile mass protests in France. The loss of footage hampers documentation of the events, while the targeted aggression raises questions about the protection of press freedom amid civil unrest. Authorities’ response to the looting and violence, as signaled by police sirens, remains a focal point for both domestic and international observers.

Euronews