Le Figaro Nantes
Saturday, in the town of Ancenis, located about forty kilometers from Nantes, the pride march was a "sunny and festive" moment placed under the sign of "tolerance and respect" dixit the mayor Rémy Orhon. A craze showered quickly. On Sunday morning, a "gray dawn," as he described it, descended in the vicinity.
The reason: a pedestrian crossing, embellished with the colors of the rainbow on each side, has been degraded. "A stripe was covered by the blue-white-red colors. The second was tagged with homophobic remarks, "details the edile. The device had been inaugurated only three days earlier. It was an initiative of the municipal youth council that wanted to highlight tolerance and respect for the LGBTQIA+ community.
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'Unacceptable vandalism'
"This act of vandalism is unacceptable. These reprehensible remarks have no place in our society, which advocates the values of equality and fraternity," said Rémy Orhon. For him, this action is the symbol of a "violent society that is radicalizing".
In response, the community indicated its intention to file a complaint. Determined to show his support for EsAc, the LGBTQIA + association of the country of Ancenis, and fight "harassment" related to identity, the mayor ensures that the degraded pedestrian crossing will be "repainted in the days to come". Initially, homophobic inscriptions will be covered with white paint to mask them.
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Reclamation
In Nantes, it is a giant flag in the colors of the rainbow that disappeared from the public space in the weekend. It was hung since May 17 - on the occasion of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, Lesbophobia and Biphobia - on the façade of the Opéra Graslin located in the city center. On Twitter, one person explained that he saw a person pick it up.
This Tuesday morning, all that remained was the device that was used to fix the rainbow flag on the façade of the Graslin Opera. LT / Le Figaro
A kakemono in LGBTQIA+ colors hung in the street of Strasbourg, as part of the action "Pride aux balcons", was also defaced during the weekend. "The City of Nantes strongly condemns all damage to the LGTBQIA+ flags installed in public spaces. Any degraded element is intended to be restored and reinstalled in the public space, "she says to Le Figaro. As for the giant flag, the community specifies that it is "for the moment under repair and will be put back as soon as possible". She also mentions that she filed a complaint as early as Sunday.
On May 18, the new premises of the LGBTQIA+ Nosig center, which welcomes lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex people who are victims of discrimination in Nantes, was tagged. A hateful slogan accompanied by a Celtic cross was inscribed.