Footage shows Covid pass protestors pelting an MP with seaweed and rubbish in the French territory of St. Pierre and Miquelon
French MP Stephane Claireaux has said he will file criminal charges against Covid pass protesters after they threw seaweed and other objects at him outside his home in an overseas territory off the coast of Newfoundland.
The incident, which happened in St. Pierre and Miquelon Monday, came days after new Covid-19 measures came into effect in the region, requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter public venues.
Speaking to FranceInfo, Claireaux described how 500 people gathered to protest before some activists marched towards his house. Once he emerged, he said a “car loaded with seaweed” was parked close by, and “people started throwing it” at his face, with the politician describing it as a “stoning.”
France’s overseas minister, Annick Girardin, shared footage of the incident on social media, describing the situation as “deeply shocking” and calling for the prosecution of the individuals who targeted Claireaux.
President Emmanuel Macron backed calls for legal action against the protestors while in Nice on Monday, criticizing what he termed “an intensification of violence” against political figures over Covid restrictions.
The demonstration at Claireaux’s house came as other politicians reported being subjected to abusive behavior, with some French MPs saying they received death threats after backing a vaccine pass.
Describing the severity of the situation, Christophe Castaner, who leads Macron’s party in parliament, said there had been 322 threats against French MPs in 2021 amid an increase in tensions about the handling of the pandemic.
With the French parliament currently in the process of passing a law that would effectively restrict unvaccinated individuals from most public life, more than 100,000 activists took part in protests over the weekend against the Covid pass.
