A comparison that does not pass. The controversy swells this Monday after the broadcast on social networks of statements by the mayor EELV of Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine) Patrick Chaimovitch comparing the police to the Vichy police.
“The French police officers, the French gendarmes who obeyed the orders of their superiors by implementing the Vel d'Hiv roundup and other roundups after and elsewhere are the ancestors of those who today with the same zeal track down the migrants, undocumented migrants (…) ”, declared the city councilor on July 19, according to a video circulating on social networks, shot during a commemoration of the Vel d'Hiv roundup.
"Regrets" and "support for police and gendarmes"
In a press release sent to AFP, the mayor said "to regret that (s) one proposal could have caused confusion" and recalls his "support for the police and gendarmes who exercise the heavy republican responsibility for security in extremely difficult conditions" .
"For me, there is no possible comparison between the police and gendarmerie of a democratic state on the one hand, and the police and gendarmerie of the Pétainist state on the other," he insists, refuting any parallel between “The fate of migrants” and that of “the Jews destined for extermination”.
Controversy and threat of complaint
Sunday, the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin had denounced "scandalous and unbearable remarks" towards the police and the gendarmerie, threatening to file a complaint if they were well confirmed.
"This mayor barely elected in Colombes, by his infamous words, now embodies the shame of the Republic and already dishonours his mandate," denounced the union of national police commissioners on Twitter. "He dishonours his mandate. It is a shame for the Republic. Compare the current police officers with those of the Vichy regime: it is unworthy (...), also tweeted the independent union of police commissioners.
Several right-wing elected officials including the president of the IDF region Valérie Pécresse were moved by these remarks. “Insane and scandalous comparison of the mayor EELV of Colombes: our police would act like the police of Vichy! The state must file a complaint (…), ”she tweeted.
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- Vichy
- Gendarmerie
- Doves
- Police
- Gerald Darmanin
- Society