BuzzFeed news reporter David Perrotin was assaulted on Thursday at a Paris protest outside the offices of news wire Agence France Presse by members of the extremist Jewish Defense League group.

Perrotin was covering a rally organized by the JDL and two other groups in front of AFP, which has been characterized by the JDL as anti-Israeli.

BuzzFeed reported that a little before 8 p.m., a protester spotted Perrotin and said, “It isn’t good to take photos” as protesters threw eggs and other items at the building housing AFP.

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Perrotin was asked if he was a journalist, and declined to answer, but the female protester already knew his identity.

“I know who you are, I have information about you. You are David Perrotin. Wait, I’ll tell the JDL that you’re here,” BuzzFeed reported the protester said.

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In response, Perrotin tried to leave the crowd as police motioned him to come to the front of their line in front of the AFP building. As he ran, about a dozen protesters wearing masks and helmets barreled into him.

They struck him in the back and head and police inadvertently struck him before recognizing he was a reporter. They brought him into the AFP building, where staff tended to Perrotin before he was released 45 minutes later.

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The Jewish Defense League didn’t answer BuzzFeed as to why its protesters assaulted Perrotin, responding to an inquiry with a blank email.

BuzzFeed reported Perrotin wasn’t badly injured and plans to file charges with police.





