The reaction of Fnac was not long in coming. Arrested by a police union and several far-right elected officials, the chain of stores withdrew from sale one of its board games which offers its participants the opportunity to animate a fictional anti-fascist group. “Antifa Le jeu”, created by the antifascist site “La Horde” and published by Libertalia editions, is no longer available this Monday morning on the store’s website.
As of Friday evening, several elected officials from the National Rally had mobilized on social networks to demand the withdrawal of the game from the sales catalog. Grégoire de Fournas, RN deputy who was expelled for 15 days from the National Assembly, accused of having made racist remarks in the hemicycle, castigated his marketing. “Box 1: I block a college; Case 2 : I beat up a right-wing activist ; Case 3 : I attack a meeting of the RN ; Case 4 : I throw a Molotov cocktail on the CRS “, tweeted the elected representative of Gironde on Friday, asking: “Fnac, are you not ashamed? »
Similarly, the RN deputy from the North, Victor Catteau denounced an “absolutely scandalous” game. “To honor the antifas, these hateful groups who only know violence to attack our democracy and what we hold dearest in our country… Absolutely scandalous! “, he judged on Twitter.
In the process, the Union of Commissioners of the National Police (SCPN) was indignant, in turn challenging the chain of stores. ” This Game is on sale at Fnac. A comment to thus highlight the antifas, which break, set fire to and attack in the demonstrations? “, he commented on Twitter.
Faced with growing pressure from elected officials and the police union, Fnac reacted Sunday evening on the same social network, ensuring “understanding” that the marketing of the game “could have offended some of [ses] public”. “We are doing what is necessary so that it will no longer be available in the next few hours,” he added.
“You will not silence us”
The almost immediate withdrawal of the game has aroused the incomprehension, even the anger of certain left-wing organizations, like the collective Action Antifasciste Paris-Banlieue which denounces “censorship”. “You are selling this book who inspired Brenton Tarrant to commit a racist mass shooting in New Zealand, will you censor him too? “, he challenged, citing “The Great Replacement” by Renaud Camus.
Finally, Libertalia editions also commented the Fnac share. “Based on false allegations from the far right and then from the forces of repression, Fnac has just withdrawn from sale antifa the game, the training tool designed by La Horde and Libertalia”, adding “You will not silence us! “.