President Macron defends the right to laugh, criticise, mock and caricature

French President Emmanuel Macron said freedom of expression includes the right to blaspheme [File: Sebastien Bozon/Pool/AFP]. Speaking at a ceremony on Friday celebrating France's democratic history and naturalising new citizens, the French president said: "You don't choose one part of France. You choose France ... The Republic will never allow any separatist adventure." The weekly republished the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad this week as the trial began of 14 people over the attacks on Charlie Hebdo and on a kosher supermarket. "To be French is to defend the right to make people laugh, to criticise, to mock, to caricature" the President said.