At each image of a burning trash can, a police charge or the firing of fireworks, they are a cloud, telephone in hand, capturing the image at the same time. Appearing on the route of the demonstrations with, most often, the desire to provide a story of the events different from that of the news channels, these “reporters journalists or citizen reporters are more and more numerous”notes Rémy Buisine, 32, present on the asphalt since the attacks of November 13, 2015, today attached to the online media Brut. His live during the mobilization day of March 23 against the pension reform, which lasted ten and a half hours, totaled 5 million views.
The fight against the “labour” law in 2016, the “yellow vests” movement in 2018-2019, the protest against the “global security” law in 2020 were the occasion, for a dozen or so reporters born in the heart of social protest, to become references in the field. But beyond this ” core “ of devotees, “new ones start, stay for a while, leave, and are replaced by others”describes in turn Clément Lanot, 25, creator of the press agency CLPress.
“I think they are doing better than us. It’s a very social media generation, present on all platforms., assures the independent reporter Jules Ravel, present in particular on Twitter. The personal quest for notoriety is not the general case, but “sometimes it’s the one who will have the highest flames, the most impressive image”admits a videographer who requests anonymity.
“Maybe my photo will be the only one with weight”
Out of the question, for all these reporters, to throw opprobrium on a single one of their colleagues, new or old, amateurs or professionals: in demonstration, solidarity is in order. As for the goal pursued, it is the same for all: to document what is happening at the heart of the processions. “Maybe I will be in the right place at the right time, and my photo will be the only one with weight” when it comes to providing decisive testimony, says Louis (some speakers did not wish to give their names), forties, manager in a museum in Pays de Loire and photographer in demonstration since 2014.
Photographing, filming, posting has become a reflex for “Mr. and Mrs. Everyone” – as well as for high school and university students, who have been more mobilized since the use of 49.3. And the phone, according to Yasin Blotas, 28, creator of the Civicio account, is “a protective weapon, a safeguard during certain muscular interventions by the police”. Which unfortunately does not prevent them yet.
You have 52.9% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.