Gilets Jaunes (Yellow Vest) movement member Christophe Chalençon announced that the anti-establishment movement has “paramilitaries” ready to overthrow the French government.
Mr Chalençon made the claim following an interview with Italian media this week after being asked about his meeting with Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio earlier this month BFMTV reports.
Despite the interview being over, the cameras kept recording and published the remarks of Chalençon who said, “I know I’m risking a lot, I can get shot in the head anytime, but I’ll be at the end of my convictions, because if they put a bullet in my head, Macron will be placed in the guillotine.”
“We have come to such a point of confrontation, that if they kill me, he is dead too because the people come back to the Elysée and they will dismantle everything… There are many of us like that,” he said, and added: “We have paramilitaries who are ready to intervene because they also want to bring down the government.”
Following the broadcast of the footage, Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio distanced himself from Chalençon, saying: “We do not talk with those who talk about armed struggle or civil war” — despite previously meeting Chalençon and discussing various topics with him and other Yellow Vest members for two hours.
The meeting between Di Maio, who along with Matteo Salvini acts as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy, and the Yellow Vests greatly increased existing tensions between Italy and France, resulting in France recalling its ambassador to Italy.
French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner also reacted to the statements by Chalençon with a degree of ridicule, asking if the statement was, “an Italian comedy or just a personal delirium?”
The comments of Chalençon come after another Yellow Vest figure, Eric Drouet, received a police visit back in December after going on French television and saying the protesters were ready to storm the Elysee Palace.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com