Emmanuel Macron to fire Elysée security official filmed beating protester as 'scandal of state' grows

The French presidency is to fire a top security aide who beat a protester during a demonstration in Paris in May after saying “new facts” had emerged in a scandal that has deeply embarrassed Emmanuel Macron.

A video released this week shows Alexandre Benalla, 26, dragging and hitting a demonstrator while wearing a police helmet and armband, even though he is not a member of the force.

Paris prosecutors also said Mr Benalla has been detained for questioning in the assault inquiry, where he also faces charges of impersonating a police officer.

A second reservist gendarme, Vincent Crase, also present on May 1, has also been detained for questioning.

"New facts that could constitute misdemeanour by Alexandre Benalla were brought to the president's attention," said an Elysée official. "As a result... the presidency has decided to start Alexandre Benalla's dismissal procedure," the official added.

The “new facts” are related to the suspension of three senior Paris policemen, according to Le Monde, which first reported on the video.

The three include a commander tasked with liaising between Paris police headquarters and the Elysée and commissioner Maxence Creusat, in charge of the force at Place de la Contrescarpe in Paris where the incident occurred on May 1.

Le Monde said the three were suspended for having passed on video surveillance footage of the scene to Mr Benalla in “recent days” - presumably so he could prepare his defence. This development appears to have prompted the dismissal.

Le Monde released on Wednesday night a film shot by a student activist in which Mr Benalla grabs a woman by the neck, charging her down the street. Shortly afterwards he returns to the scene, drags a young man along the floor, grabs him by the neck and hits him.

Riot police present do not intervene to stop him.

A second clip released on Friday from another angle shows Mr Benalla forcing the girl, the companion of the young man who was beaten, onto the floor.

The Paris prosecutor yesterday launched a preliminary probe into “violence by a person with a public service mission, usurping a function and usurping signs reserved for public authority."

The ex-security chief was suspended for two weeks in May over the incident, demoted and threatened with dismissal if he did anything else untoward. But he was allowed to continue working at the Elysée and reportedly helped manage security for a garden party at the presidential palace for the victorious French football squad on Monday.

The Elysée and government condemned Mr Benalla’s actions, amid reports suggesting he had a history of overstepping the mark, but had stopped short of calling for his dismissal until now.

That led to furious opposition calls of a “cover up” and a parliamentary commission of inquiry into the incident, which has been granted. 

Police have meanwhile launched their own investigation.

Interior minister Gérard Collomb is due to be questioned by the Senate next week, amid press revelations that he had learned of Mr Benalla’s actions as early as May 2. 

USM, France's main magistrates' union, said that under clause 40 of the French penal code, the Elysée should have informed the judiciary of the incident at the time if it had any suspicion that a crime had been committed.

Patrick Hetzel of the centre-Right opposition party, The Republicans, accused Mr Collomb of a “string of lies" in what was a “scandal of state”.

Mr Macron has not yet commented on the affair, except to to say that “the French Republic is immutable”.

Commentators called the botched handling of the affair, in which little was done in 36 hours, a PR “disaster”.

“If (President Macron) had fired this aide right from the start of the first day, we would be looking at less serious crisis,” said political scientist Benjamin Morel told BFMTV.

Political communication expert Philippe Moreau-Chevrolet warned there could be electoral repercussions for the president.

“There are campaigns underway - the European elections are coming up, as are the municipal elections in which the image of an Elysée adviser beating up protesters … will pose problems,” he said.