A French broadcast journalist has complained of being violently thrown out of a press conference after he tried to question the far-right Front National presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen.
Paul Larrouturou was with a crew from the TF1 news programme Quotidien at the conference in Paris, when he attempted to ask Le Pen about allegations that she used European parliament funds to pay staff of her political party.
Two security guards can be seen on film pushing him out of the door as he holds his microphone to Le Pen. One of the guards hits the camera as a member of crew films the assault.
“I am accredited here; you cannot stop me asking Madame Le Pen a question,” Larrouturou says. One of the guards replies: “You have threatened a police officer.”
The Huffington Post reported the private security company covering the event as saying: “Two police officers asked us to remove two individuals who were being provocative. There was a lot of pushing and shoving.”
An FN spokesperson said the party was “in no way responsible” for the journalist being forced out of the press conference and accused local security staff of manhandling the reporter.
Larrouturou reported that security staff appeared to be acting on the orders of the FN security team, which the party has denied.
In 2015, police rescued Larrouturou from a hostile crowd that had surrounded him and his camera team at the traditional FN 1 May march.
Quotidien journalists have been told they will be personae non gratae at an FN rally in Lyon this weekend.
The European parliament has ordered Le Pen to refund the €300,000 (£258,000) claimed for the salaries of parliamentary staff after allegations that the money was used to pay a personal bodyguard and a member of her political team in Paris.
Le Pen has refused to reimburse the money. She now faces having her MEP’s monthly salary halved and her expenses stopped.
