House arrest for ex-bodyguard Macron after assaulting protesters | Abroad

Benalla was fired in July 2018 for punching two months earlier. Shortly after his resignation, Benalla admitted his mistake on French television. He said he should have kept his distance. Benalla attended a protest as an observer, but a video showed him overpowering protesters with a police helmet.

The former bodyguard said during the hearing that he had acted out of a reflex and denied knowingly mistreating people. Benalla has also been convicted of using false documents to apply for diplomatic passports. He used those passports to set up a security company in Africa and Israel.

After the incident, Macron was accused of not punishing the guard hard enough in the first place. It was the first major test for the president, who had promised more integrity.

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