The controversy swells after a banner “Death to ecologists” during a village festival

2023-08-22 19:49:03

The controversy has swelled since Sunday. While the feast of Saint-Bernard was being held in the village of Pérols-sur-Vézère (Corrèze), a tank driven by the mayor of the town, Alain Fonfrede, pulled a banner on which one could read: “Death to environmentalists “.

Humor ? This is what the unlabeled mayor of the municipality defends, who confirms in the columns of The mountain having driven the float, but not having written the sentence on the banner himself. But on the side of Europe Ecologie-Les Verts (EELV), the time is not for fun. Marine Tondelier, secretary general of EELV, denounced what she considers to be incitement “to violence against environmental activists”. Considering the act as “serious and dangerous”, she assures that “follow-up will be given”.

“Death to ecologists”: a mayor of Corrèze proudly displays these words on his tank.

Inciting violence against environmental activists is serious and dangerous. Like when Darmanin calls us terrorists.

Follow-up will be given.https://t.co/0hYnDIlpkN

— Marine Tondelier (@marinetondelier) August 22, 2023

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“It trivializes a discourse of violence”

Contacted by 20 Minutes, Jean-Louis Pagès, regional environmental councilor for New Aquitaine, confirms that he “finds nothing funny” in this unfortunate initiative of the elected official. “Walking around with such a banner is clearly anti-republican, denounces the elected environmentalist. He is the first magistrate of a municipality all the same, that makes sense. And it’s not funny, knowing that there have already been Death to ecologists tags in Corrèze. This trivializes a discourse of violence, and we will take legal action. »

However, regional ecologists want to be part of a “appeasement” approach and say they are ready for a “meeting” with the mayor of Pérols-sur-Vézère.