Quite a symbol. The founder of La France insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, chose Roubaix, in the North, to hold his first official meeting in mainland France on Wednesday evening since the launch of the European campaign in Villepinte last month. He was acclaimed by some 1,200 activists, according to the organizers, in this city of 96,000 souls which voted 52.5% for him in the first round of the last presidential election. To the point of introducing himself, not without irony, as
“the president of Roubaix”
.
In a blunt speech, Jean-Luc Mélenchon broadly addressed the situation in Gaza.
“All those who do not absolutely agree with the massacre are immediately anti-Semites
,” regretted the rebellious leader, citing beyond his personal case
“the Secretary General of the UN, the UN itself, Pope"
. He pretended to wonder:
“Why, at 70, did I become anti-Semitic?”
.
“He is anti-Semitic for winking at working-class neighborhoods
,” he replied, aping his opponents. Before turning the accusation of racism against them:
“It’s racist to speak like that!”
“Community withdrawal”
Jean-Luc Mélenchon presented himself as the supporter of
the “dignity, peace”
camp and called on Roubais residents to vote massively for the LFI list in the European elections.
“If you let the lists of supporters turn a blind eye to crimes or approve of them, if you let these lists prevail on June 9, it is your own dignities that you will offend. Because you will have allowed the criminals and their friends to score a point against us
,” he lectured. In addition to accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a
“criminal”
, he estimated that
“those who remain silent in the face of the killings are also criminals through their inaction”
.
At the start of his speech, Jean-Luc Mélenchon took care to pay tribute to the Franco-Palestinian candidate who appears in seventh position on the LFI list for the European elections, Rima Hassan.
“Look (...) at this one who has just entered our line, with such strength, such generosity, such an ability to pull you along,”
he declared to thunderous applause. The pro-Palestinian media activist preceded Jean-Luc Mélenchon to the podium where she delivered a brief, calm speech. Activists chanted
“Rima, hold on,”
while Palestinian flags flew above the aisles.
In Roubaix, perhaps more than elsewhere, the line on which the Insoumis decided to campaign was illustrated on Wednesday evening: mobilizing its electoral base, made up largely of residents of working-class neighborhoods. This city, one of the most affected by poverty in France, has recently been the subject of concern from the authorities, who warned in 2019 of
“a tendency towards community withdrawal”
in a report commissioned by the first minister.