“Thank you Mr. Paty, my teacher. Freedom. Equality. Fraternity. Secularism."
With this sign around her neck, Louise, a student of Samuel Paty, came to pay tribute to the one who had been her teacher for three years.
Like her, several thousand people took part in the white march organized Tuesday evening in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine at the call of the city, associations of parents of pupils, the educational community of the college of the history teacher - geography.
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Four days after the beheading of the teacher by an Islamist terrorist, the inhabitants
“needed this gathering,”
reports Laurent Brosse, mayor of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
They are deeply upset, shocked, hurt and sometimes angry.
They need to express these feelings, to be listened to, to stick together.
And to pay homage to Samuel ”
.
In this suburban town of Yvelines, the shock is immense.
“It touches us immensely,
confide Alexia and Rebecca, two students overwhelmed by emotion.
In front of the college, on the square invaded with flowers and little words, the crowd applauded “Mr. Paty” as well as the teaching teams of the college before observing a moment of silence.
Then the procession, where the local elected officials were numerous, began its march towards the Place de la Liberté in Conflans.
Quite a symbol.
Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, also wanted to participate in this
"republican rite"
of the white march because it is a
"necessary step in mourning".
But after
"it will take action", she
believes.
"I will not give up"
A little earlier, many teachers, former students of the establishment and residents had come to meditate in front of the college.
“I think of all the teachers I had in my schooling and it hurts my heart.
We spend almost more time with them than with our parents, ”
notes Ornella, a law student who came to drop a white rose.
Nasser, a resident of the neighborhood, a Muslim, displays a sign
"I am Samuel".
“They succeeded in creating fear.
They want to disunite us, to instil mistrust,
he despairs, with tears in his voice.
But religion is love. ”
“We feel deeply touched,”
says Magali, a teacher from Colombes.
But I won't give up.
I will continue to do like Samuel Paty, to teach freedom of expression to students.
We must stand together. ”
“It's a complicated drama for children to deal with.
Inexplicable.
The return to school on November 2 will be difficult.
There will be someone absent,
observes Louise's mother.
He was a professor with a passion for history.
Now he's part of history
.
"
To honor his memory, the department proposes to rename the College Bois-alder named Samuel Paty.
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“Everywhere in France, this freedom to analyze and criticize must be taught to our young people! We owe it to Samuel Paty ”,
called out the mayor of Conflans in a speech at the end of the rally.
Before announcing the creation of a place dedicated to the memory of this day of October 16, with a stele in tribute to the professor.