French government spokesman attacked during election campaign

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced on July 4 that Prisca Thevenot, government spokeswoman and undersecretary for democratic renewal, and members of the election campaign team were attacked by four people the night before in the Meudon area of ​​Paris while they were putting up election posters.

“Our democracy has no place for violence and threats of violence. These things cannot exist in our republic,” the French Prime Minister condemned the incident in a post on social network X, calling on people to “reject the climate of violence and hostility” that is engulfing the country and “take immediate action”.

Ms Thevenot, 39, is a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance Party and is running for re-election to the French parliament.

Paris prosecutors confirmed that four suspects, including three minors, had been arrested on charges of “attacking public officials with a weapon”. The motive of the group of suspects in the attack has not been announced by French authorities.

According to French media, Ms. Thenevot, MP Virginie Lanlo and two political activists were hanging posters in the Hauts-de-Seine electoral district, west of Paris, when they were surrounded and attacked by a group of about 20 people. A Thenevot aide said the local police intervened promptly.

Europe 1 said Ms. Thenevot was not injured, but another member of the group suffered a dislocated jaw. Meanwhile, The Parisian said a political activist and MP Virginie Lanlo was hospitalized after the attack.

Thenevot, a French politician of Mauritian origin, has repeatedly expressed her frustration over racist comments directed at her and her family in recent months, saying the rise of the far-right has made her a target.