World
PARÍS Journalists walked out of Jordan Bardella’s book launch after media were barred and protesters gathered outside
Most accredited reporters left the Paris event after three journalists were denied entry. Outside, an anti-antisemitism group staged a protest against the National Rally leader.
The launch of Gouverner, Jordan Bardella’s third book, turned into a dispute over press access and a street protest in Paris. According to France Info and AFP, three journalists were prevented from entering the event organized by publisher Fayard at the Pavillon Wagram in western Paris.
Those denied entry included a Mediapart reporter who, AFP said, held a named ticket. The other two were a member of the Politis newsroom and an independent journalist. Victor Chabert, head of RN press relations, told AFP it was a private event and that the three had not been accredited. AFP added that many other media outlets had in fact received accreditation.
After that, nearly all registered journalists left the venue, with the notable exception of outlets belonging to the Bolloré group, which also owns Fayard, AFP reported.
Mediapart president Carine Fouteau condemned the incident as another obstruction targeting one of the outlet’s reporters and described it as censorship. France Info said the episode came amid high tension between Mediapart and the National Rally after the investigative website published late in September youth writings attributed to Bardella and presented as antisemitic. Bardella denied the allegations and filed a defamation complaint.
The broadcaster also recalled that Mediapart had already been jeered by activists and removed by security on two occasions during the RN congress and at Marine Le Pen’s first campaign rally in late October in Orléans.
At the same time, about 15 activists from the anti-antisemitism collective Nous vivrons gathered outside the venue with signs and megaphones. Among other chants, they voiced slogans against antisemitism and directly targeting Bardella. Before arriving, the RN leader posted on X accusing the far left of protesting against a book and alleging what he called an increasingly troubling nostalgia for totalitarian regimes.
The group replied on the same platform that he was using the same method of disqualification against activists fighting antisemitism, and said its only side was that of the Republic, adding that Bardella did not belong to it.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
