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The multitude of recognized and serious speakers in a show that has been a benchmark in terms of ecology for decades, could it be hiding some black sheep?
In any case, this is what Ludovic Hernandez, elected from the centrist opposition to the town hall of Lyon, suggests, pointing to
“potential sectarian excesses present at the Primevère show”
which will be held like every year at Eurepxo, this weekend.
He made a report to the Interministerial Mission for Vigilance and the Fight against Sectarian Abuses (Miviludes) and attacks the presence of the Metropolis and the City of Lyon, several elected officials of which will be hosting conferences, as a “risk of legitimization and
guarantee »
.
A recognized institution in terms of ecology, the Primevère show should once again attract nearly 30,000 people to listen to the many speakers, from
Mediapart
to Sandrine Rousseau, including a host of writers, craftsmen and whistleblowers, on the perfluorinated pollution in particular… The past years have seen the presence, pell-mell, of the founder of Sea Shepherd, Paul Watson, the policeman Alexandre Langlois or the mayor of Grande-Synthe, Damien Carême.
That of Professor Henri Joyeux, in 2018, too, while Thierry Casanovas on the program in 2021 had created a stir before the show was canceled due to Covid-19.
“Pseudoscience” and “forest bathing”
In the vein of the latter, youtuber star of alternative medicine pinned by Miviludes precisely, Ludovic Hernandez noted the presence among the 450 exhibitors
“of pseudoscientific or pseudo-medical disciplines or even quackery”
.
While some informed Internet users were also moved by it, evoking
“an anthology of newage naturopaths”
and
“sectarian excesses”
, the elected official alerted the authorities.
He also wrote to the Ministry of Health, highlighting in particular the presence of the Alyccs association which offers its members
“to organize with them the defense of their freedom and their integrity concerning their health, including vaccination”
.
Present on the 2023 program and a regular at the show, she held a conference there entitled
“11 vaccines in the chain”
in 2018.
“With the covid, a phenomenon of eco-anxiety has developed on which certain pseudosciences such as naturopathy thrive
, points out Ludovic Hernandez.
Some fragile people find themselves prey to gurus with sometimes dramatic outcomes as in the case of Eric Gandon (
naturopath indicted after the death of several followers, editor's note
)”.
And to deplore an
“amalgam between valid ecological solutions in terms of health, finance or education with sectarian, esoteric solutions and prone to these excesses affecting mental and physical health”
.
With the Primrose program
"raw food, memory of water, anti-wave movement"
, lists the chosen one who also points to sylvotherapy conferences advocating forest baths as
“ecotherapy”
.
Anthroposophical entryism
Ludovic Hernandez deplores the silence of elected environmentalists on these subjects.
Several conferences will be led by the city and the metropolis of Lyon, on the passage of the drinking water network in public control in particular.
The city did not wish to comment, referring to the organizers, who were holding a communication meeting on this subject on Wednesday afternoon and did not immediately respond to our requests either.
For its part, the Metropolis recalls that Gérard Collomb, David Kimelfeld and other predecessors also went to this show, a Lyon institution for decades.
“There was not the same level of information, no report from Miviludes on these drifts, not the current awareness
, responds Ludovic Hernandez.
I do not condemn the show but I say that we must apply a precautionary principle.
Today no one condemns anthroposophy.
This is the other side of his referral, which concerns exhibitors and speakers linked to this movement, denounced in the latest report from Miviludes.
With the presence at the Primevère show of schools of Steiner pedagogy, promoters of biodynamics or even the La Nef bank, whose opposition had underlined the links with the municipality, while it is involved in the circulation of Gonette local currency.