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MP bombarded by seaweed in Covid protest (VIDEO) WATCH: Anti-vaccine passport protesters pelt MP with seaweed 
(33 minutes later)
Footage shows Covid pass protestors pelting an MP with seaweed and rubbish in the French territory of St. Pierre and Miquelon French islands' lawmaker was accosted in front of his home by people furious over vaccine enforcement
French MP Stephane Claireaux has said he will file criminal charges against Covid pass protesters after they threw seaweed and other objects at him outside his home in an overseas territory off the coast of Newfoundland. Protesters from the French overseas constituency of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon threw fistfuls of seaweed at their representative of the national parliament, angry over the vaccine mandate. The attack was condemned by politicians.
The incident, which happened in St. Pierre and Miquelon Monday, came days after new Covid-19 measures came into effect in the region, requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter public venues. The heated confrontation took place on Sunday in France’s islands of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon in the western Atlantic. People unhappy with the government’s anti-Covid-19 policies and the introduction of the vaccine mandate gathered outside the home of Stephane Claireaux. The MP has been representing the constituency since 2014.
Speaking to FranceInfo, Claireaux described how 500 people gathered to protest before some activists marched towards his house. Once he emerged, he said a “car loaded with seaweed” was parked close by, and “people started throwing it” at his face, with the politician describing it as a “stoning.” At one point the politician, who came out to speak to the crowd, was pelted with seaweed by the jeering demonstrators, footage of the incident shown. Annick Girardin, who held Claireaux’s seat in the National Assembly before joining the cabinet, denounced the incident, calling it “unacceptable.” 
France’s overseas minister, Annick Girardin, shared footage of the incident on social media, describing the situation as “deeply shocking” and calling for the prosecution of the individuals who targeted Claireaux. “This is not how we conduct the debate of ideas. I give my full support to the MP, who suffered a serious assault in front of his own family,” she wrote on Twitter, after sharing the video.
Similar reactions came from President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand, who said his fellow legislator faced “intolerable aggression” at his home, and Minister of the Overseas Sebastien Lecornu, who described the incident as “deeply shocking.” Several public figures demanded that local authorities ensure the safety of the MP and his family.
President Emmanuel Macron backed calls for legal action against the protestors while in Nice on Monday, criticizing what he termed “an intensification of violence” against political figures over Covid restrictions. A condemnation “without reservation” was also expressed by Stephane Artano, the senator from Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, whom Girardin called out for fanning anti-vaccine sentiment and criticizing Claireaux’s support of the mandate. In a statement, he said he only endorsed peaceful protests and that any abuse of a politician, who may have ideas one disagrees with, was against democracy.
The demonstration at Claireaux’s house came as other politicians reported being subjected to abusive behavior, with some French MPs saying they received death threats after backing a vaccine pass. The protest in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon was part of a nationwide pushback against the mandate passed last week by the National Assembly, which would replace “health passports” with “vaccine passports” in France, making regular vaccinations effectively necessary to participate in public life. President Emmanuel Macron stated the imminent law was designed to “piss off” vaccine refuseniks. 
Describing the severity of the situation, Christophe Castaner, who leads Macron’s party in parliament, said there had been 322 threats against French MPs in 2021 amid an increase in tensions about the handling of the pandemic. Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon is a small French overseas territory located just south of Canada’s Newfoundland and Labrador. It has about 6,000 residents, most of whom live in two communes. Since mid-November, the archipelago has reported a surge in Covid-19 infections.
With the French parliament currently in the process of passing a law that would effectively restrict unvaccinated individuals from most public life, more than 100,000 activists took part in protests over the weekend against the Covid pass.