Euronews journalists were attacked by masked looters and rioters in Paris while covering the major demonstrations organized by the ‘Yellow Vests’ and student-led groups near the Place de la Republique.
The crew was moving from the protest site when they encountered individuals robbing an Intermarché Express supermarket on Place Jacques Bonsergent and began filming the incident.
Estelle Nilsson-Julien, Euronews’ Paris correspondent, described the confrontation: “We were filming the looting when the group turned on us, surrounding us and hitting my cameraman while trying to take his microphone.”
“The cameraman was pushed against a wall and punched, but was protected by his mask and goggles. I was also struck during the altercation,” she added.
Their camera was stolen but later returned by a group of youngsters, though the SD card was missing, causing all recorded footage to be lost.
Nilsson-Julien reported seeing fires and hearing police sirens in the area, describing the situation as “anarchy in the streets” with the calm protests having escalated into violence and looting.
In a separate incident, correspondent Valerie Gauriat was slapped by a protester during an interview at the Place de la Republique, with the individual mumbled profanities denouncing media presence.
These events follow social media calls for protesters to target journalists to control the spread of information about the demonstrations and reported violence.
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