"I call on all the renois and rebeus of France to attack every Chinese they meet in the street", "It is the hunt for Asians, bridles, yellow dog eaters", "You are only good 'to bring back diseases ”,“ Hitler should have killed the Chinese, not the Jews ”…
This Wednesday, these hateful and racist tweets dating from last October, shared online more than 3,000 times, and followed by physical attacks, will be at the heart of the debates at the Paris court.
"It is the online anti-Asian hatred trial", summarizes Sacha Lin-Jung, co-founder of the AJCF (Association of Young Chinese in France), who has brought a civil action.
"We were taken for the heads of Turks in this sad story of Covid", for his part, Jacques Hua, one of the pillars of the Asian community in Ile-de-France, is in despair.
Yet annoys the one who is also secretary of the association of traders in the 13th century Chinatown, in Paris, "most Asians in France have no connection with China and that for generations".
“We have lived through special months, modestly insists Françoise, one of the victims, abused in a bus.
People in the metro changed seats so as not to be next to us.
When they weren't insulting us or spitting on us.
"
Five defendants will be tried
At the hearing, there will be on one side five defendants - young adults, without a criminal record.
Three minors will be tried later.
And on the other, a dozen victims - individuals insulted, physically attacked - but also associations, very upbeat including the historic AJCF, represented by Me Soc Lam, as well as the BNVCA (National Office for Vigilance Against Antisemitism) , who wished to provide support.
This trial, which opens in the 17th chamber in Paris, could be agitated.
A demonstration is planned on the square, just before the hearing, with the authorization of the police headquarters.
It will be a “historic” trial, in the words of Buon Tan, deputy for Paris (LREM), who, alarmed after the hate campaign of last fall, wanted to sound the alarm.
“Racism targeting Asians is not perceived by public authorities, even denied.
"
Paris, this Tuesday.
In the heart of Chinatown, several passers-by confided that they did not feel any particular fear on a daily basis.
/ LP / Céline Carez
But on the side of Chinatown, in the Olympiades district, in Paris (13th century), the echo of this trial does not seem to affect everyone.
"I did not suffer from racism," says the printer of Infoprint, a small company, who adds that she is not "aware of the trial".
Nicolas, a researcher married to a Chinese woman and who lives in the Olympiad towers - "not aware either" of the legal news - affirms that "those who threw these tweets are not from here.
My wife hasn't felt threatened or worried lately ”.
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This campaign of hatred is however "crescendo rise after the announcement of the second confinement" in October, insists Sacha Lin-Jung.
Insults, death threats, "unambiguous messages that call for attacks" fall on social networks, insists Me Soc Lam.
"These tweets, it was not humor"
The Paris prosecutor's office takes the case seriously and opens an investigation into "the head of public provocation to commit an attack on the physical integrity of a person of a racist nature".
The first complaints fall.
"The brigade for the repression of delinquency against the person (BRDP) has been very responsive," greets Sun-Lay Tan, spokesperson for Security for All, at the head of a large group of 46 Asian associations.
We, associations, helped them find the authors of the tweets.
All were identified, arrested in record time.
"
“The hearing this Wednesday is important, insists Sacha Lin-Jung.
It will be historic if the perpetrators are convicted, if justice recognizes the racist motive, if it clearly says that these tweets were not humor.
Until now, we Asians have been targeted for villainous motives.
There, it was an unprecedented hatred.
It was clearly a call for ratonnade, aggression, murder.
"
