The Syndicat national des journalistes (SNJ), France’s largest journalists’ union, has expressed its support for reporters who were threatened, jostled, struck or injured in recent days. They were covering protests over education and the rising cost of living.
The SNJ firmly condemns the violence, particularly against journalists. Reporters are on the ground to document the crisis France is going through. Without them, the union says, social movements, police action and the conduct of rioters would go unreported.
For the SNJ, informing citizens is essential to a working democracy. “Attacking journalists will not erase reality,” it writes. Neither police nor protesters, the union adds, can decide what may be shown and what must be kept quiet.
A new day of protests is planned for Saturday 24 October. The union calls on participants, the authorities and the police to respect the work of reporters.
The SNJ statement, in French. Read the full text