2023-11-23 06:56:23
During the white march organized in tribute to young Thomas, in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme), November 22, 2023. OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP
What is striking is the silence. A thick silence beaten by an icy wind. Not a word but bodies held together under the autumn sun, tears, shoulders hugged tightly, and then Thomas’ jovial face displayed everywhere on the white t-shirts and banners. The teenager would have turned 17 in December. This Wednesday, November 22, thousands (more than 6,000 according to the gendarmerie) will march in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme) to pay tribute to the young man killed on the night of Saturday, November 18 to Sunday, November 19 with knife wounds. , during a very violent attack on the sidelines of a village ball in Crépol, 500 inhabitants, in the Drôme des collines.
Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers After the murder of a teenager in Crépol, the investigation attempts to understand the “dynamics” of the tragedy
The procession sets off at 1:30 p.m. in front of the Dauphiné high school, where Thomas – in his final year of STI2D – studied, behind banners held by his relatives, solemn faces, “Thomas, we love you”, « Justice pour Thomas ». Members of his rugby team close the ranks, wearing blue RC Romanais Péageois jerseys and the message “Thomas rest in peace”, in memory of their young captain. We only hear the sound of footsteps and the crackle of flashes from the journalists, who are very numerous. The march ends with a guard of honor at the stadium where the teenager trained. “ Your presence in numbers testifies to the extraordinary attachment that Thomas had when we crossed his path”greets an organizer.
Bunches of balloons fly away, then applause. With a beret on his head and a portrait of Thomas on his chest, Jean-Louis Bringer holds back neither tears nor anger. School bus driver, he transported Thomas to high school and rugby, “he was one of our kids, he was happy, he was the DJ in the bus.” “Let the French state do something for our rural communities”urges the man, believing that there is no “not enough police stations”, that need “restore public services everywhere”.
“We must wait, trust in justice”
Added to the pain and trauma of certain residents was the exploitation of the drama by the far right and part of the right, fueling the idea of a supposed rivalry between a France of cities, considered threatening, and a France of villages, which would be overcome by insecurity. Arrested with eight other people, the alleged perpetrator of the fatal stabbings nevertheless lives in « centre » from Romans-sur-Isère, and “no, the Monnaie district”, one of the cities pointed out by some, according to details provided by the Valencia prosecutor. The latter declared that the links between the suspects “do not seem to be based on such territorial “logics”.
You have 60% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
#RomanssurIsère #big #white #march #Thomas #killed #Crépol #ball