The sequence has already disappeared from social networks, but it remained there long enough, a few hours, to trigger controversy. Questioned by Christophe Barbier on the cacophony of the debates in the Assembly around the pension reform, the senator and president of the UDI, Hervé Marseille, declared Thursday morning on Radio J: “The image that LFI (France Insoumise) is absolutely frightening. Transforming the National Assembly into a gypsy camp is not Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer (a place of pilgrimage for gypsies and travellers). »
Several left-wing elected officials quickly denounced the “racism” of these remarks. “This racist contempt must be unanimously condemned… This verbal violence must stop,” reacted Alexis Corbière, LFI deputy for Seine-Saint-Denis.
“This is racism”, abounds Sandrine Rousseau, EELV deputy for Paris, followed by Ian Brossat, housing assistant (PCF) at the town hall of Paris, who both commented on the sequence, meanwhile deleted from Twitter by Radio J .
“An uninhibited and daily anti-Gypsyism”
“These are discriminatory remarks, as anecdotal as they may seem, they are serious and unfortunately usual in the political sphere”, lambastes Parisian William Acker, general delegate of the ANGVC (national association of traveling citizens) . “He is a group (and party, editor’s note) president, it is not nothing. We are used to hearing this type of stereotypes about Gypsies in France. »
The ANGVC will file a complaint for racist insult and will make a report to Arcom, she confirms to us.
“We are dealing with an uninhibited and daily anti-Gypsyism”, deplores William Acker, who cites as an example the recent illegal destruction of a Roma camp in Villeron, in the Val-d’Oise, three days ago. “200 residents violently chased away a Roma camp in the woods with the help of the mayor. This was done completely outside the framework of the law, one can speak of a punitive expedition. »
Faced with the outcry, Hervé Marseille apologized on Twitter, while continuing to criticize the behavior of LFI deputies in the Assembly. “The instrumentalization of my remarks by LFI is nauseating. I must have been verbally reckless and obviously didn’t want to hurt anyone. I regret this situation, ”wrote the senator from Hauts-de-Seine.
“It’s unbearable, we can’t say anything at all anymore… I didn’t stigmatize anyone, I highlighted the disorderly side (in the Assembly)” sighs Hervé Marseille, reached by telephone. This controversy arises a week after the presentation of a government plan to fight against racism, anti-Semitism and anti-Gypsyism. “These remarks are regrettable, they convey stereotypes against which we must fight”, condemns the cabinet of Isabelle Rome, Minister Delegate in charge of Diversity and Equal Opportunities.