Le Figaro Nantes
Usually peaceful, a sector of the Vendée bocage located in the north of this department, is agitated by a growing controversy.
The story behind this surge dates back to last Tuesday during a presentation to the municipal council of children in Boufféré, a delegated municipality of Montaigu-Vendée.
“Everything was going well until a slide listing the projects the kids wanted was shown.
It was a question of the development of a speed bump near the bar-tobacco ”
, recalls Sophie Licoine, a representative of the opposition classified various left, present that day alongside the children, their parents and elected officials. of the majority.
The image broadcast strongly “shocked”
her
: this one represents a speed bump replaced by the drawing of a Muslim praying, all accompanied by the word “speed bumps”.
A shot that would have been broadcast for ten minutes according to Sophie Licoine.
An “Islamophobic” discourse
“I was stunned to see that. I decided not to raise this inconsequential enormity in front of the children but I alerted my group
, ”she explains.
The list entitled “Montaigu-Vendée together and otherwise” will immediately publish a reaction on its blog.
“The speaker had fun with her 'offbeat humor', but this is, let's be clear, an Islamophobic speech, uttered in public, during an official session!
We don't have to frequent the same kind of sites when it comes to finding humorous illustrations!
“
, is it in particular written.
Vincent Mathieu, the leader of the opposition, tells Le
Figaro
that the prefecture has been alerted and that he is calling for the opening of an investigation.
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"For us, it's a crime. Beyond the case of the offending person, we denounce the lack of control of the services of the municipality with regard to communication. We want a reminder of the regulations to be made
, ”he underlines, without however calling for the resignation of the elected official concerned.
"It's not up to us to ask for it.
It is up to the mayor to take responsibility.
We hope that he will intervene
,” he replies.
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No sanction envisaged
Florent Limouzin, the various right mayor of Montaigu-Vendée, is not at all in this perspective.
He does not envisage any sanction against an
“elected woman who did not seek to hurt anyone”
.
For him, the negative repercussions of which she is the victim are already a burden heavy enough to bear.
“We put the names of elected officials who are volunteers in the public square.
I have to protect them
,” he says.
In a
“desire for appeasement”
, he wishes to clarify certain points:
“The elected official involved did not realize the scope of the image broadcast.
It's clumsy, it's a gross mistake, but there was no malicious intent on his part.
»
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Florent Limouzin does not hide his bitterness either in the face of the controversy generated and its consequences.
Since Tuesday, December 13, his town has been the target of numerous threats.
“We are caught in a spiral that saddens us.
I have two elected officials in tears since this morning who are in pain and are being insulted
, ”he explains to
Figaro
.
According to these words, the municipality he leads is the object of
"reactions of rare violence, most of them coming from outside the municipality"
, he adds.
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The mayor hopes for a return to calm
As for the lack of control of communication by the services of his municipality, he specifies that a reflection will be carried out.
Incidentally, he also denounces the opposition's way of doing things in this story:
"At the time, the elected official did not say anything and did not seek explanations when she could have done so. after the meeting.
Everything has been made public.
We were stunned to find this out as we hadn't heard of it before.
»
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The current controversy was to be discussed this Tuesday, December 13 in the evening during the long-planned city council.
“I will express things publicly and listen to each other
,” assured Florent Limouzin, hoping that calm will return quickly to his town.