Woman faces criminal trial in France after referring to President Macron as ‘garbage’

A woman has been arrested in France and faces a criminal trial for posting a slogan referring to President Emmanuel Macron as ‘garbage’ on social media.

The 50-year-old, who asked to be referred to by her first name of Valerie, was placed in police custody for the alleged offence.

She is accused of ‘publicly insulting’ the French President, who has witnessed millions take to the streets in protest to his controversial move to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote.

Accusing the president of forcing striking binmen to leave piles of rubbish around her home in Saint-Omer, close to the northern English Channel coast, Valerie posted a picture of graffiti saying ‘Macron Garbage’ on Facebook.

This led to three officers knocking on her door last Friday, and then taking her to a police station, where she was briefly locked up.

Valerie is accused of ‘publicly insulting’ Mr Macron (pictured), who has witnessed millions take to the streets in protest to his controversial move to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 without a parliamentary vote

‘I asked them if it was a joke,’ Valerie told the Voix du Nord (Voice of the North) newspaper. ‘It’s the first time I’ve been arrested.’

The ‘Macron Garbage’ graffiti was outside a waste disposal depot in nearby Arques, and she had simply ‘been photographed in front of it, smiling,’ she said.

Referring at the time to an upcoming television address by Mr Macron, Valerie also wrote on Facebook: ‘The garbage will talk tomorrow at 1 p.m.., adding: ‘We also find the garbage on TV’.

Valerie is linked to the Yellow Vests anti-Macron movement which brought chaos to France from 2018, but she denies being a troublemaker.

‘I’m an activist for social justice,’ she said. ‘They want to make an example of me. I am not public enemy number one.

‘This is totally unfair. We are going through a period when intimidation is strong, and activists are threatened.’

Human rights laws have complained about police violence and arbitrary arrests, as Mr Macron sends paramilitary units on to the streets to try and quell the violence.

Prosecutors and the Pas-de-Calais prefecture confirmed that an investigation had been opened into Valerie’s Facebook post.

Valerie accused the president of forcing striking binmen to leave piles of rubbish around her home. Pictured: Garbage goes uncollected in Paris on March 27

Anti-government rioters brought ‘fire and blood’ to the streets of France on Tuesday. Pictured: Riot police charge pension protesters in Paris

The protests have intensified since the government used special constitutional powers to bypass parliament on a final vote on the pensions bill almost two weeks ago

A statement from the prefecture said it has been ‘opened following a complaint filed by the sub-prefect of Saint-Omer with the police station after he became aware of offensive photos and publications targeting the President of the Republic on social media networks’.

Valerie will be tried at the Saint-Omer criminal court on June 20 for ‘insults conveyed by word writing, image or means of electronic communication’ and faces a fine equivalent to around £10,000.

On Tuesday, anti-government rioters brought ‘fire and blood’ to the streets of France forcing 13,000 police and gendarmes to be mobilised, including 5,500 in Paris alone.

Horrifying images showed Paris ablaze with officers charging towards protesters who armed themselves with tear gas or took shelter behind burning garbage bins which lined the streets.

Despite the violence and industrial paralysis, Mr Macron and his prime minister, Elisabeth Borne, said there was no chance of a climb down from flagship pensions reform.