This is Vesti. We're keeping track of events.
We'll start with this news which we'll try to get to the bottom of right now. But first, let me tell you the background of it. The editorial board of the BBC demands that its employees provide any proof showing that Russia is interfering with the French rallies. Any proof. We learned this from the correspondence posted on the internet today. In search of scoops, a BBC journalist contacted a reporter from the French media. She asked whether, I quote, "Russian businesses are capitalizing on the demonstrations." Actually, she was told that Russians weren't seen participating in the protests. The BBC journalist got upset and complained that her editorial board is out for blood. Well, it's rather interesting.
Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of RT and the international news agency Rossiya Segodnya is on the air with us.
- Hello, Margarita.
- Hello.
- This week, the Times added fuel to the flame. Our correspondent in Paris also talked about that. It's time for them to look not for a "Russian connection" but Western journalists which we don't see on the protest sites.
- This is true. There are many Russian journalists there. Probably, this is the "Russian connection". 13 people alone were injured during those rallies. They were punched in the face if I'm not mistaken. You see, this story tells us that we have no doubt that those people are following simple guidelines. That girl, a BBC journalist, wrote: "find me a "Russian connection", my bosses are craving it". You see, her bosses are demanding to find a "Russian connection." So, the information is disseminated not in the way it always used to, when there's a story and we tell it. But her bosses, I don't know those people's names and who tasked them with that, telling them what should there be and those miserable boys and girls, and the saddest thing is that they're our compatriots because we're talking about BBC Russian Service... And the girl, who wrote that, is a Russian because her boss, funded by another state's foreign office which isn't the friendliest towards us, demanded that she find evidence of Russia's bad behavior and a "Russian connection". And she bent over backward to find that evidence. First, I can't understand how it's possible neither from an ethical nor a legal point of view. Why should it take place in our country? I assure you that if anything like this happened in the US, there wouldn't be a mere scandal, but everyone would have to face serious legal consequences, you see. But we're kind people.
- Right, we're kind people and people who manage to work in those not very simple conditions. RT France Channel, which isn't admitted to Emmanuel Macron and various governmental institutions, is still working in the streets. There is some sort of conflict of interest with the mainstream media. There must be a lot of criticism about it from the French authorities as well, right?
- Of course, how can they not criticize us when our videos have a dozen times more views than some French names, the main names in the media which are well-known in Russia as well. Of course, they'll criticize us when we have a video provided by policemen for free. The French policemen, who worked at the rallies, sent us footage which they shot themselves. They gave it to our reporters and asked to show it to Putin because it's impossible in his country. We aired it, and then the French channels had to use our live videos with our logo and broadcast them because they don't these videos. Of course, they'll be cross with us. They have no other option.
- Another question is how are the guys who were injured during all those rallies in France doing? We just saw a photograph of a journalist who was punched in the face, the blood was easily seen.
- She's our employee.
- Yes. How are they feeling now?
- Thank God, none of our journalists got any injuries that would seriously threaten their health. Many of them returned to the rallies after receiving medical treatment. That's our job, you know. Once you pledge, don't hedge, but run around rallies as well. Thank God that there haven't been any serious injuries so far. Some will have scars, some will face the consequences of gas poisoning. It's different for everyone. In any case, our work is very hard.
- I guess, in such circumstances, it's easy to get poisoned with tear gas. Thank you, Margarita. This was the editor-in-chief of RT and the international news agency Rossiya Segodnya Margarita Simonyan on the air.
