Fifteen people have gone on trial over rowdy scenes a year ago in which an Air France executive had his shirt ripped as he fled workers who were angry about planned job cuts, reports The Guardian.
Footage of the incident near Paris in October 2015 showed bare-chested human resources chief Xavier Broseta trying to scale a fence after being chased out of a meeting about restructuring proposals at the airline that would lead to the loss of 2,900 jobs.
Another executive, Pierre Plissonnier, also had his shirt and jacket torn.
After breaching the fence outside Air France headquarters outside Paris, dozens of workers broke into the conference room where managers were unveiling the restructuring plan to the firm’s works committee. Guards employed by the company were also injured.
Five of the defendants face charges of organised violence, punishable by up to three years in prison and a €45,000 (£39,000) fine if convicted. Another 10 face lesser charges in the two-day trial.
The French prime minister, Manuel Valls, said the men, whom he branded “rogues”, should be given stiff sentences.