SENIOR male journalists at the French newspaper Liberation are among those suspended after the discovery of a “boys’ club” on Facebook which was used to harass feminist reporters.

The discovery of the male-orientated Ligue du LOL, an abbreviation of “laugh out loud,” has been described as France’s “Me Too” moment, with one journalist so distressed she became suicidal.

The group was accused of co-ordinating online abuse predominantly targeted at women for many years. It was reported to have had members in public relations, graphic design and media education.