French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to journalists upon his arrival in Savines-Le-Lac, ... [+]
An unnamed woman in France is facing a fine of roughly $13,000 for referring to French President Emmanuel Macron “filth” in a Facebook post, according to a report from the AFP news service that cites local prosecutors. The woman was even arrested and reportedly asked police if her arrest was part of some joke.
The woman allegedly created a Facebook post on March 21 where she referred to Macron as “this piece of filth,” describing the French President as “filth” at least twice on social media. The post was reportedly about Macron’s controversial attempt to raise the retirement age for most workers from 62 to 64.
The proposed pension reforms have set off a wave of violent protests in the country. An estimated 740,000 protesters took to the streets on Tuesday in hundreds of rallies across the country, according to CNN.
While France has some constitutional protections for freedom of speech, they’re not nearly as robust as the First Amendment protections afforded to Americans, who are free to call any political leader they like a piece of filth without fear of arrest or fines.
The unnamed woman, who’s reportedly in her 50s, was arrested on Friday near the town of Saint Omer, France after a local administrative office apparently filed a complaint. The woman is being charged under a law that bans “insulting the president of the republic,” according to the AFP.
The woman is scheduled to go to trial on June 20 though she does not face jail time.
