Nov 14, 7:01 PM
Television Crew Attacked During Protests in Lyon
French authorities report intent to lynch after BFMTV reporters were assaulted and their equipment stolen.
A four-person television crew from the French news network BFMTV was attacked by demonstrators in Lyon during a demonstration against the government on Saturday. French riot police intervened to protect the reporters and their security guards after group members assaulted them during the rally.
The team, comprising two journalists and two private security employees, was covering a protest that drew approximately 8,000 participants to the city. According to official reports cited by news agency AFP, several individuals isolated the crew, struck at least one employee multiple times, and knocked their camera equipment to the ground. The attackers damaged the recording gear before stealing it from the scene.
The prefecture of the Rhône department characterized the assault in an official statement, stating that the perpetrators acted with an intent to lynch the television crew. Officers from the CRS, the French national police riot units, moved in to separate the attackers from the journalists and secured the area shortly after the violence escalated.
Footage of the incident circulated on social media platforms following the clash. An individual sharing video of the assault on the platform X declared that there was no place for BFMTV or news channel CNews at demonstrations in the city. Both networks have experienced repeated targeted attacks during protests organized by left-wing groups in recent weeks.
The violence in Lyon occurred amid broader domestic unrest involving protest movements, school blockades, and recurring weekend demonstrations across France. Authorities reported that earlier confrontations in mid-October resulted in 2,628 arrests nationwide in a single day and left 1,144 police officers and gendarmes injured, alongside an arson attack that destroyed the city hall in Limoges. Local authorities in Lyon confirmed that law enforcement has opened an investigation into the assault on the news crew and the theft of their equipment.
Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com
