Tension is mounting at the Emmaüs branch in Berry-au-Bac (Aisne).
While he had announced that he was leaving his post on Friday August 26, following accusations of racism, the now ex-president of the regional center announced on Monday in
Le Figaro
that he had filed a complaint for "
defamation and forgery
" against the 47 signatories of the petition that prompted his departure.
Freshly landed from his post, the former president does not take off.
According to him, Emmaüs France would have asked him to resign to "
calm things down
".
He claims to be the victim of a defamation campaign and refutes all the accusations:
"The excuse of racism is easy to use to eject a person
," he explains to
Figaro.
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His wife, a weekend volunteer for eight years, was forced to leave the centre.
“
My wife and I haven't had a weekend for ten months because we're at the centre, and we landed like this, I'm sick of it!
», revolts the ex-president of Emmaüs de Berry-au-Bac.
Since his departure, he has been building a case for his defense with a few volunteers.
“
I plan to write a letter relating the facts to Emmaüs France to explain that one cannot be at the head of an Emmaüs by being racist
”, declares the ex-president.
It all started when dissonant voices began to be heard within the berryacoise antenna on August 22.
He would have, according to
France 3 grand est
, planned to ban animals and refrigerators in the rooms of this Emmaüs center very popular in the region.
The ex-president affirms that it was a question of reinforcing the security of the accommodations and the workplaces.
A project that would have set fire to the powder: “
He also wants to remove the fridges in our rooms while some store their medicines there, he no longer wants the dog of one of the companions.
He never takes our emotions into account
, ”denounces a member of the
Courrier Picard.
Opponents of the former president also accuse him, according to
France blue Champagne-Ardenne,
regulatory changes with racist overtones.
Among them, the disappearance of halal meals and the project to ban the reception of new families with children.
The man in place for 10 months is then singled out for his supposed far-right political opinions.
Quickly, tongues loosened in the center and the situation became complicated for him.
Vincent, a companion, explains that
"we cannot have a president who is for the National Front, who is racist, who has racist remarks towards our companions. It's impossible"
, he told
France 3
Champagne-Ardenne.
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Wednesday, August 24, 47 companions from the center of Berry-au-Bac sign a strike call.
The activity of the center is frozen for four days.
In addition to these accusations, the mutinous members denounce the management methods of the ex-president: "
He constantly comments on our work and considers us as employees, he has already told me 'I'm going to cut your heating if you don't sell enough”.
Even if it was a joke, it is not tolerable
, ”confides a companion to our colleagues from the
Courrier Picard.
When contacted, Emmaus France told
Le Figaro
, through its press relations manager, that it had positioned itself "
clearly
" on the side of the 47 protesting companions.
“
I can affirm that we have had testimonies of racism, against the former president, which came as well from the employees and companions of the center as from the volunteers
” he declared.
Regarding the encouragement to the resignation that the former president would have suffered, the foundation replies that “
Emmaus pleaded for a resignation because it made it possible to get out of the crisis immediately, a dismissal procedure would have taken 15 days to be effective.
An unthinkable situation given the seriousness of the facts
.
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