Agnès Evren, François Baroin and Christian Jacob at the start of the Republicans at Port-Marly (Yvelines), September 5, 2020. -
Jacques Witt / SIPA
Have the Republicans (LR) gathered for their political comeback without respecting or advocating barrier gestures?
On Twitter, photos taken during this event, held on September 4 and 5 in Port-Marly (Yvelines), and showing executives and party activists seated near each other, are published to denounce this lack of precautions sanitary facilities.
If these images are authentic, they obscure the health protocol put in place during this "Rendez-vous de la jeunesse", the absence of a mask being only allowed for lunch.
Will the images of political rallies in the era of the coronavirus now be systematically scrutinized by Internet users ready to verify that the barrier gestures have been respected there?
On social networks, the alleged absence of a health protocol when the Republicans (LR) returned to the “Rendez-vous de la jeunesse” in Port-Marly (Yvelines), on September 4 and 5, in any case aroused strong feelings criticism - just two weeks after a wave of similar criticisms against Jean-Luc Mélenchon and La France insoumise (LFI).
No mask ... No distancing .... And for a Kinder or a sandwich 135 euros .... Respect for barrier gestures ... Or not ... Rally of Republicans ... pic.twitter.com/L26kBFKjsW
- No pasarán !!!
(copyright @sidpics) (@ patnice63) September 6, 2020
Several tweets or Facebook posts indeed relay photos showing LR personalities - such as François Baroin, Christian Jacob or even Gérard Larcher - sharing the same table, outdoors, without wearing a mask or keeping a distance from each other.
The young LR at the political re-entry of the LR.
You have to get on each other's knees if the idea is to blow up the European record for the largest Covid 19 cluster ... No?
😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/K5Ha6NYlC6
- Benjamin Amar (@ benjaminamar4) September 5, 2020
“No mask… No distancing….
[…] Respect for barrier gestures… Or not… Rally of Republicans… ”, we can read in commentary on one of the most widely relayed critical tweets when another, showing a dozen activists posing for a photo, quipped:“ The young LR at the political re-entry of the LR.
You have to get on each other's knees if the idea is to blow up the European record for the largest Covid 19 cluster ... No?
"
FAKE OFF
The photos in question were indeed taken during the "Rendez-vous de la jeunesse" organized by the party: those showing Gérard Larcher, François Baroin and Christian Jacob at the same table had initially been published on Saturday September 5 by the Republicans' Twitter account. , as can be seen below.
🍴 Elected officials and young people exchange around a lunch before meeting at 2:30 pm with @AurelienPradie, @francoisbaroin, @gerard_larcher, @ ChJacob77 ...
🔴 To be continued in #direct on this page! #RentreeLR pic.twitter.com / IIwbUgaca2
- Republicans (@lesRepublicains) September 5, 2020
As for the snapshot of young activists gathered on several tables glued to each other, we found a trace the same day on the account of a young LR activist, who tweeted various photos of the event.
Continuation of the second day of the # BackLR around an excellent lunch in good company ... 😉 with @ JReps_75 @ JeunesDati_7!
pic.twitter.com/hgStFTh2sU
- Florent Rossi (@Florent__Rossi) September 5, 2020
On the other hand, contrary to what the viral repetitions of these photos suggest, various health measures were in force throughout these two days in the Yvelines.
"Each of the entrants was checked at the entrance by a temperature control, [and there was] an obligation to wear a mask with a call to order by the [security agents] throughout the event", as well as "hydroalcoholic gel available", confirms for his part to
20 Minutes
Geoffroy Bax de Keating, LR mayor of Perray-en-Yvelines and responsible for the Young LR of Yvelines.
The LR party confirms these provisions to us, while specifying that it “also made a communication upstream on the respect of barrier gestures”.
“The photos [in question] are the photos of the lunch at the table where he was allowed to remove his mask to eat,” he adds.
Various images taken during this “Rendez-vous de la jeunesse” make it possible to verify that such a health protocol was in place, just like the publications put online before or during the event.
Starting with a Facebook post published by its organizers, just before its launch on Friday, September 4, which recalled, with supporting photos, that “[wearing the] mask [would] be compulsory on the entire site.
"In accordance with the health measures indicated upstream to future participants on the Republicans' Facebook page.
Two other publications, in the wake, showed the participants arriving masked at the entrance of the premises, as well as an individual temperature control carried out on this occasion.
Finally, we can clearly see, in a Huffington Post video filmed during this “Rendez-vous de la jeunesse”, the masked staff at the reception of the event (at 0'45), alongside distributors of hydroalcoholic gel , as well as the famous control device at the entrance to the site (from 2'18).
Tables limited to 8 people
“A cloth mask was provided at the entrance.
People wore masks all along and the four workshop-debates took place at the same time, which allowed the audience to be scattered, ”, further specifies a young LR activist present during these two days.
“Hydroalcoholic gel was available for each workshop and, to prevent the microphones from passing from hand to hand, we used boom microphones with protective nets,” adds the LR party.
The only exception to wearing a mask was therefore allowed during the meal, although this lunch was also the subject of special measures because of the health context, according to Les Républicains: “At the table, the number of covers was limited to eight. , whereas we usually organize large tables ”.
The lunch organized when the Republicans return to Port-Marly (Yvelines), September 5, 2020. - Jacques Witt / SIPA
If the viral photo of Christian Jacob, François Baroin and Gérard Larcher shows that these small tables were indeed arranged at a distance from each other - as well as the photo of photographer Jacques Witt above - that of young LR activists clearly shows a group of ten people gathered around several tables close together.
"It was not the original arrangement of the tables, we made a table [with the LR activists] of Paris 15 and other people were added to it during the time of the photo", specifies one of the young LR activists present at that time.
Beautiful people, interesting themes, convincing speakers, a united political family.
YES, the #RentreeLR is a success!
The youth of the right are present and ready!
pic.twitter.com/hwTA3v13TY
- Auriane Calambe 🇫🇷🇲🇶 (@AurianeCalambe) September 5, 2020
Finally, the various images relayed by various elected officials or activists present at this back-to-school meeting clearly show most of the masked participants as they move around the event - with the notable exception of lunchtime.
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No, this photo does not show a rally of rebellious France in defiance of health rules
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