A social media campaign erupted here almost simultaneously with the appearance of #MeToo in the United States — except French women took it further with #bal­ancetonporc, which loosely translated means “squeal on your pig.” As in the United States, after women began naming and shaming their attackers, some of the most prominent men in French public life stood accused of sexual assault.

Most notably, the Swiss-born academic Tariq Ramadan, whose stance on Islam in Europe has transformed him into persona non grata among French elites, has been accused of raping two women, charges he denies.

The outrage has only grown. Marlène Schiappa, a government minister who oversees gender equality, proposed fining men for “wolf whistling” and sexually suggestive comments made on the street.