A journalist from “Quotidien” files a complaint against Francis Lalanne for beatings

A journalist from “Quotidien” lodged a complaint in Paris against the singer Francis Lalanne, accusing him of having given him a “punch” and of having hit him with a headset, Saturday in Avignon, announced the Monday night TMC show.

What the singer denies: “Francis Lalanne formally denies having hit any journalist whatsoever. This is a rude staging to which this program is customary, ”replied his lawyer, Emmanuel Ludot.

In a sequence, the show shows how its journalists wished to interview Francis Lalanne on Saturday in Avignon at a citizen university in which intervened in particular “yellow vests”.

Lalanne accuses journalists of “manipulation”

The interview takes place initially correctly before being strained, Francis Lalanne accusing journalists of “manipulation” who question him about remarks by Jean-Marie Bigard qualifying in particular the former Minister of Health Agnès Buzyn as “bitch”.

Citizen University of Avignon: the exchange with Francis Lalanne begins calmly. But after 3min of interview, the tone rises. ⬇️#Daily pic.twitter.com/DEqSYxI27N

– Daily (@Qofficiel) June 7, 2021

He “forbids” journalists to use his “images”, then gets up and shouts several times “remove what is in the camera”, while around him, according to the video, relatives shout at several times: “Francis! Stopped ! “. The images then become confusing.

Complaint for “violence with a weapon”

Paul Bouffard, one of the three journalists from Bangumi, a company that produces “Quotidien”, denounced in his complaint for “violence with a weapon” on Saturday – of which AFP has obtained a copy – a “violent punch in the face” , another blow to the head. “He grabbed my headset and then used it as a weapon,” he adds.

According to journalist Paul Larrouturou, also present during the altercation, “the doctors diagnosed a head trauma, post-traumatic tendonitis in the left shoulder for Paul Bouffard”. Paul Larrouturou reported having himself “a sprained right wrist” after trying to intervene.

Journalists leave the scene under escort

Asked by AFP, the lawyer for Bangumi and his journalists, Me Lorraine Gay, sent a report on Monday to the Paris prosecutor Rémy Heitz, asking “that an investigation be carried out very quickly” into these accusations.

According to her, “it was through the intervention of Paul Larrouturou and other people present at the rally that Francis Lalanne was finally contained, and under the escort of several people, that the team of journalists managed to leave this zone ”.