The arrest of a figurehead of the “yellow vest” anti-government protest movement provoked defiant calls for “harder” demonstrations and outrage among French far-Left and far-Right leaders on Thursday.
Éric Drouet was arrested on Wednesday night on his way to a protest on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Riot police grabbed him from a crowd of dozens of supporters and marched him to a van in front of television cameras.
A charismatic 33-year-old lorry driver, Mr Drouet had called for a rally “to shock public opinion”. He is under investigation for allegedly organising a demonstration without official permission, an offence in France punishable by up to six months in prison and a €7,500 (£6,760) fine.
An influential voice in the leaderless movement, which has no formal structure, Mr Drouet was charged in December for carrying a club to a protest.
Mr Drouet’s supporters called on social media for a “hardening” of protests this weekend following what they said was a “political arrest”.
The numbers of protesters have dwindled in recent weeks following concessions by Emmanuel Macron, the president, including a rise in the minimum wage and tax cuts for low-income pensioners and households.
However, the two-month-long protests, which have often degenerated into clashes with police, have raised doubts about Mr Macron’s ability to push forward with business-friendly economic reforms.
He further incensed the demonstrators by branding them as a “hate-filled mob” in a combative New Year’s message, vowing to maintain law and order “without compromise”.
The government now appears determined to quash the protests across France, threatening to arrest “yellow vests” who continue to occupy roundabouts. At least 10 people have died in car accidents as “yellow vests” blocked roads. Some 216 people were jailed for public order offences and thousands arrested during the first month of the “yellow vest” protests.
Mr Drouet claims to have no political alignment, but many Left-wingers accuse him of far-Right sympathies because of he has expressed anti-immigration views on social media. However, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a far-Left leader, has expressed admiration for Mr Drouet, comparing him to an 18th century revolutionary with the same surname, Jean-Baptiste Drouet.
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally leapt to Mr Drouet’s defence on Thursday. “The protest he was trying to organise would have been harmless,” said Wallerand de Saint-Just, the party treasurer. “Once again Mr Macron has revealed himself to be a cold technocrat who favours repression. He has failed to understand the political and moral authority of the protests.”
Émilie, one of Mr Drouet’s supporters who witnessed his arrest, told reporters: “He always called for peaceful demonstrations.”
Mr Drouet was later released but must appear in court on February 15 to answer both the latest allegation – which he denies – and the weapons charge.
Opposition leaders said the treatment of Mr Drouet contrasted with the leniency shown to the president’s former security aide, Alexandre Benalla, who has not been charged despite being filmed beating May Day protesters.
Meanwhile Mr Macron’s spin doctor announced his resignation as the president struggles to restore his authority, with his approval ratings down to about 20 per cent.
Sylvain Fort, 46, will quit his post as head of Elysée Palace communications before the end of January “for personal reasons”. However, his once close relations with Mr Macron have soured, partly because he objected to clumsy off-the-cuff remarks by the president that have repeatedly offended members of the public, government sources said.