5 THINGS ABOUT FRENCH WOLFWHISTLING

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FINING THE WOLVES Repeat wolf-whistlers face on-the-spot fines of up to 750 euros ($1,100) under a law against sexual harassment passed in France this week, amid outrage over film of a woman being punched in Paris. The new law creates fines of between 90 euros ($135) and 750 euros for gender-based harassment on streets and public transportation, starting in September. It also bans sexual or sexist comments and degrading, intimidating or hostile behaviour.

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TOUGH TALK “Harassment in the street has previously not been punished. From now on, it will be,” Marlene Schiappa, gender equality minister and architect of the new legislation, told Europe 1 radio.

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PROUD AS PUNCH MPs approved the law on its second reading late on Wednesday days after security film footage showing a man punching Marie Laguerre, 22, a Parisian student, went viral online. France was appalled when the security camera footage from a bar showed her being violently punched by a man in broad daylight after she told him to “shut up” for repeatedly harassing her with lewd advances. She wrote that “we must no longer keep quiet”, adding that she took the punch “with the utmost pride” as it would help raise awareness.

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SHUT UP Overwhelmed by reaction to the attack, Laguerre contacted women’s group Les Effrontees, which helped her set up a website and the hashtag #tagueule (shut up). Fatima Benomar, a spokesman for Les Effrontees, said Laguerre “showed great strength by going back to the bar to retrieve the film and put it on social media”.

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ALL SPIN However, some feminist groups, and some police unions, criticized the new bill against “sexist outrage” as a “huge disappointment” that would see more serious offences go unpunished and said that it was inapplicable in practice.