French politicians express solidarity with woman who suffered attack after telling harasser to ‘shut up’

CCTV footage showing moment Marie Laguerre is struck across the face by assailant has been widely shared

French politicians have publicly supported a woman who was hit in the face by a man who she told to stop harassing her.

CCTV footage showed the moment Marie Laguerre, 22, was attacked by a man on her way home from work in Paris.

After he made a number of degrading comments and obscene noises as she walked past a cafe, Ms Laguerre told him to “shut up”. The man threw an ashtray at her head before they traded insults and he struck her with his hand across her face.

The clip of the incident was shared online to help catch the culprit and garnered widespread attention, leading to an outpouring of support for Ms Laguerre.

“Total solidarity! Thank you Marie Laguerre for your courage! Stop harassment!” Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, said on Twitter.

Marlène Schiappa, the French equalities minister, said she was outraged by the attack and urged that more should be done to prevent harassment of this nature.

“It is not acceptable that in France, in 2018, women are hit in the street because they refuse to be insulted when they walk. It is a fundamental issue of liberty,” she said on Twitter.

Ms Schiappa also said she was pushing the government to introduce on-the-spot fines for street harassment.

She added that the new fining system should come into place by the autumn.

When Ms Laguerre was attacked by the man, those in the cafe intervened and she briefly went home before going back to collect witness statements and complain to the police.

Many members of the public have taken to social media to praise Ms Laguerre for her bravery and Alexandra Cordebard, mayor of Paris’s 10th arrondissement, expressed support for her.

“All my support to Marie Laguerre ... Unfortunately what she has experienced is far too common, it is revolting,” she said.

Alain Auzet, mayor of Reau, just south of Paris, also backed Ms Laguerre and said that men in positions of power should come out and condemn such harassment.

“It is time for men, especially elected officials, to condemn with the greatest firmness the intolerable behaviour of some,” Mr Auzet said.

Police are investigating an assault and alleged sexual harassment, a Paris police spokesperson told ABC News.