A former professional boxer who was filmed beating police officers during a “yellow vest” protest in Paris surrendered to authorities, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said.
“The individual who attacked gendarmes on Saturday (…) appeared before the Paris territorial security investigators. He was immediately detained for questioning and will have to answer for his actions in court, “said Castaner on Twitter.
The man, identified by French media as Christophe Dettinger, was wanted since images of him hitting two policemen, one of whom was on the ground, leaked on social media on Saturday.
Dettinger, 37, is a former professional heavyweight boxer known in the ring as “Massy’s Gypsy,” a city south of Paris.
At least 50,000 “yellow vests” once again challenged the French government for the eighth time in a row with protests across the country that ended in episodes of street violence.
In Paris, government spokesman Benjamin Griveaux had to be evacuated from his offices after protesters smashed the front door to his ministry and entered the inner courtyard.
This was the first mobilization of 2019 of this anti-government group, despite the concessions of the Executive, which last month announced a series of measures to increase purchasing power and reduce the tax burden, valued at 10 billion euros.
The movement arose in protest against the rise in fuel prices, to later defend broader demands, related to taxes or the right to a citizen initiative referendum.
This “act VIII” of the mobilization was a test for the protest movement, which has been challenging the government for a month and a half, although in recent weeks it seemed to have lost steam.
grd-meb / mb