In the room, his relatives breathe relief. Prosecuted for “violence against a person holding public authority” and “rebellion”, returned for immediate appearance before the criminal court this Wednesday, April 19, the young man who tripped a policemanon the sidelines of a demonstration against the pension reform in Bordeaux, on April 6, was…
In the room, his relatives breathe relief. Prosecuted for “violence against a person holding public authority” and “rebellion”, returned for immediate appearance before the criminal court this Wednesday, April 19, the young man who tripped a policeman on the sidelines of a demonstration against the pension reform in Bordeaux, on April 6, was sentenced to six months in prison with a probationary suspension of two years. He will have to complete a citizenship course and has the obligation to compensate the two civil party police officers. Six months in prison with continued detention had been required.
Shaved head, goatee, Maxime, 25, is not looking for an excuse. This boy “committed to the fight for the defense of the working classes, who might need to go talk to someone”, according to his lawyer Me Hazera, recognizes the tripper, filmed by a policeman’s body camera. “A gesture that I regret and cannot explain to myself,” he said to his judges. An act “of absolute stupidity and a certain wickedness” completes his advice.
“Break from the cop”
On April 6, this mover by profession is on the Place de la Bourse at the end of the demonstration. A column of police is sent there to “disperse about fifteen young people dressed in black who threaten to commit damage”, contextualizes the president. Maxime is not part of the group, but is not far away. Two policemen come running, he sees them, walks towards them and stretches his leg as one of them passes. Helmet on his head and shield in hand, the agent falls heavily and is injured.
His colleague comes to his aid, tries to challenge the author of the trip, finds himself surrounded by several people, one of whom tries to steal his LBD while others free Maxime who escapes. In his flight, the latter loses his phone, which will lead the investigators to him.
“His goal was not to express ideas, but to break social cohesion, break the cop, hurt,” thunders the prosecutor, Sébastien Baumert, who recalls the defendant’s background. In 2019, he was sentenced to one year in prison for having participated in the ransacking of the Virsac motorway toll booth, during the yellow vests crisis. He is still paying the consequences, Vinci is asking for nearly 2 million euros for his damage.
“Childish or thoughtful act? »
But “are we on a childish act, whose effects we do not calculate, or on a thoughtful gesture? This is the question that the court will have to decide, ”underlines the lawyer for the civil parties, Mr.e Sapata, who leans for the second option. And the lawyer to return to the events that followed the trip: “It explodes on the Place de la Bourse, the police receive a shower of projectiles and find themselves facing a hostile crowd with this image of a trade unionist ready to box them. »
Me Hazera reframes: “This trial is not that of the violence of some of the demonstrators on the police, or of the police violence that can respond to it. This is the trial of Maxime, a 25-year-old kid. I ask you to judge him for the acts he committed, not for a general context. »
