Macron wishes injured 73yo Yellow Vest protester ‘a speedy recovery and… wisdom’
French President Emmanuel Macron, who many blame for the violence unleashed on Yellow Vest protesters, said he hopes one elderly protester whose head was severely injured during a demonstration gains “wisdom” over her injury.
Genevieve Legay, a French anti-globalization activist, was knocked over by officers wielding batons at an unauthorized rally in Nice last week. She fell and hit her head on a metal post before being rushed to the hospital for trauma care.
The incident was widely covered in French media, and Macron predictably was asked to comment on it. His response is unlikely to sit well with the Yellow Vests: “I wish her a speedy recovery, and perhaps a form of wisdom.”
In an interview with Nice Matin, Macron insisted Legay didn’t behave “responsibly,” as she decided to attend “places that are defined as prohibited.” The Nice rally wasn’t authorized by the city, but Legay came anyway to support the freedom of assembly.
READ MORE: 80yo woman dies after being hit in face by projectile amid Yellow Vest protests
The Lemay family’s lawyer was unappreciative of Macron’s bizarre remark: “You don’t criticize someone who is in a hospital bed,” Arie Alimi was quoted by AFP as saying.
The left-wing opposition also didn’t pass up the opportunity to slam the president. “Mr. Macron, our Genevieve of Nice does not need your lessons in wisdom. You could learn a lot from her,” Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, tweeted.
This photo was not taken at #Venezuela, nor at #Algeria, but in #France during #YellowVests protest. Geneviève Legay, 74 y/o, a peaceful protester (@attac_fr) was harshly beaten and seriously injured by french police forces. #ActesXIX#ViolencesPolicieres#GenevieveLegaypic.twitter.com/nHhu9vZTVf
— kazi (@katia0) March 24, 2019
The woman, who sustained skull fractures and bleeding next to the brain, is reported to be in serious but stable condition.
Meanwhile, the activist’s family plans to press charges against the police, who they say were responsible for the injury. The Nice public prosecutor has also opened an investigation into the incident.
Last Saturday, the army was deployed for the first time to back up police and help maintain security all over France. Protests were banned in the centers of many large cities.
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