French TV crew mugged while covering protests (VIDEOS)

A cameraman for French news channel BFMTV was chased and beaten by protesters in Lyon, who smashed and stole his equipment, according to local reports and footage from the scene.

The attack took place on Saturday as thousands marched through the southeastern French city for better living conditions and against a bill that would grant police the presumption of self-defense when using firearms, denounced by opponents as a ‘license to kill’.

According to Lyon Mag, the cameraman was filming near a burning barricade on Avenue Berthelot when several individuals recognized him, gave chase, and repeatedly struck him as he tried to flee toward police.

The TV crew consisted of two journalists and two security guards, one of whom was seen containing some of the attackers. The incident unfolded in a particularly volatile section of the demonstration, where masked activists were throwing projectiles and fireworks at police, prompting the use of tear gas.

A freelance journalist who witnessed the attack told AFP that it was “very, very intense,” adding: “I had to remove my press badge myself, otherwise I would have been lynched too.”

The cameraman sought medical attention. The Interior Ministry said at least one suspected attacker was arrested.

BFMTV called the attack “unacceptable” and said it would support its journalists in filing complaints. In late September, two other BFMTV journalists were assaulted while covering school blockades in Saint-Denis, a northern Paris suburb notorious for its high crime rates.

While there is no indication that the BFMTV crew provoked the activists in any way, the network has drawn growing hostility from left-wing protesters, who accuse it of amplifying right-wing narratives and giving disproportionate attention to immigration and security issues.

The outrage also increased after BFMTV hired presenter Sonia Mabrouk, formerly from the conservative CNews channel, who conducted interviews with right-wing politicians Eric Ciotti and Eric Zemmour. The guests respectively used the expressions “French intifada” and “Arab-Muslim scum” while discussing the unrest in France.

BFMTV’s new editorial policies also triggered an internal revolt, with more than 200 journalists signing an open letter to the management urging it to “cut with this image of a racist channel.” The network’s leadership rejected the accusation but announced plans to diversify its political guests.

The assault came against the backdrop of weeks of nationwide unrest over rising living costs, low wages, failing education, and police violence. The protests erupted into widespread violent clashes last month, with looting and arson reported in several major cities as police reported several thousand arrests.

Saturday’s demonstrations drew around 106,000 people nationwide, according to the French Interior Ministry, with more than 8,000 marching in Lyon alone. The city was among the worst hit at the peak of the protests on October 17, when rioters set the local tourist office on fire and ransacked dozens of shops.