- Title: Hundreds of French women protest against new interior minister
- Date: 10th July 2020
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (JULY 10, 2020) (REUTERS) PROTESTER SHOUTING, RAISING FIST AT FEMINIST GROUPS' PROTEST AGAINST APPOINTMENTS OF INTERIOR MINISTER, GERALD DARMANIN, WHO FACES RAPE ALLEGATIONS, AND JUSTICE MINISTER, ERIC DUPOND-MORETTI, WHO THEY SAID HAS MADE MISOGYNISTIC COMMENTS IN PAST PROTESTER RAISING FIST, CHANTING PROTESTERS GATHERED, CHANTING PROTEST SIGNS WITH NAMES OF DARMANIN AND DUPOND-MORETTI SIGN READING (French): "TO THE APPOINTED, RAPE IS A CRIME" SIGN IN SHAPE OF PIG WITH DARMANIN'S HEAD VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CLAPPING PROTESTER HOLDING UP SIGN READING (French): "DARMANIN RAPIST" (SOUNDBITE) (French) PROTESTER, ANISSIA DOCAIGNE-MAKHROFF, SAYING: "Today, the interior minister - the head of the police - is presumed to be a rapist. It doesn't really encourage women to go and file a report for rape. It's a very violent message given to women, a very violent one for the victims, not only to women, but women in particular." VARIOUS OF PROTESTS CARRYING SIGNS, SOME READING (French): "STOP THE IMPUNITY" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS DANCING PROTESTERS GATHERED WITH SIGN (SOUNDBITE) (French) 23-YEAR-OLD STUDENT, LUCIE, SAYING: "The mere fact that (French President) Emmanuel Macron has accepted to name - or chose to name - these two ministers, these two personalities, it shows he himself does not have any respect for women, for women and for minorities. And so for me, I'm not only asking for the resignation of Darmanin and Dupond-Moretti, but also for the resignation of the entire government." SIGN ON BACK OF PROTESTERS READING (French): "DARMANIN, DUPOND-MORETTI AS MINISTERS! THE ENEMY IS ALSO THE SINISTER MR. MACRON" PROTESTERS CARRYING SIGNS VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS GATHERED
- Embargoed: 24th July 2020 19:33
- Keywords: Dupond-Moretti France Gerald Darmanin government reshuffle misogynistic comments rape allegations sexism
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA001CM89KJR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Hundreds of women protested in central Paris on Friday (July 10) against the appointment of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who is under investigation for a rape allegation.
Darmanin, who denies the allegation, was promoted to the key post of interior minister in a government reshuffle on Monday (July 6).
Darmanin, 37, had previously served as budget minister.
Demanding his immediate resignation, the women waved placards with messages such as "Sexist government, feminist riposte". Their protest follows a smaller one outside the interior ministry involving a few dozen women on Tuesday (July 7).
A judge dismissed the case against Darmanin two years ago, but last month the Paris appeal court ordered the reopening of an investigation into the rape allegation, a judicial source has told Reuters.
The government has said the investigation against him was no reason to block his appointment.
The court decision means that an investigating judge will now decide whether there is a case to pursue with a formal investigation, after it was previously dismissed after just a preliminary probe.
Protesters also denounced Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, who feminist groups have deemed misogynistic.
Dupond-Moretti told GQ magazine in an interview in 2019 that though the #MeToo movement had done good in helping victims come forward, there were "crazy women" who talk nonsense on social media about men who cannot defend themselves.
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