The Marseille prosecutor's office on Tuesday opened a preliminary investigation for "public provocation to hatred or violence" after racist remarks made by the president of a nautical club during a meeting organized under the aegis of the Aix metropolis. Provence-Marseille.
The latter had mentioned the possibility of a "ratonnade".
The Marseille prosecutor's office has opened a preliminary investigation for "public provocation to hatred or violence" aimed at racist remarks made by the president of a nautical club in the city, the prosecutor said in a statement on Tuesday.
Two elected officials attended the meeting
Referring to the problem of incivility during a meeting on the Pointe-Rouge marina organized under the aegis of the Aix-Provence-Marseille metropolis, on February 22, Christian Tommasini had mentioned the possibility of a "ratonnade ", attacking in very virulent and pejorative terms people qualified as" Arabs ", according to statements reported by the local investigative media Marsactu, recording of the session in support.
The Marseille prosecutor's office opened its investigation for the count of "public provocation to hatred or violence against a person or a group of people because of their origin or their belonging or not belonging to a specific ethnicity, nation, race or religion ".
Two elected officials, an LR vice-president of the Metropolis and an elected representative of Printemps Marseillais, the left-wing majority at the head of the city, attended this council.
As soon as these remarks were revealed on Tuesday, elected officials from the right, from the left and LREM from Marseille strongly condemned the racist remarks made by Christian Tommasini.
"I would never do something like that"
Deeming this controversy "completely ridiculous", the latter, volunteer president of the Yachting Club of Pointe-Rouge, confirmed having made these remarks, explaining "that his words (had) exceeded (s) thought". Returning to the term "ratonnade", he continued, "I would never do something like that". "No French, whatever their origins, ideas or skin color, deserves the stigmatizing remarks that have been made. This is not acceptable," condemned the LR president of the metropolis Martine Vassal on Twitter.
Denouncing on Twitter comments "abject and unacceptable", the mayor of Marseille Benoît Payan (PS) assured that the city "suspends (is) all its relations with this association".
The town hall had announced its intention to make a report to the public prosecutor.
On Tuesday, these remarks were already reported to the prosecution by the association SOS Racisme and the Marseille collective "Too young to die", which mobilizes the inhabitants of cities against violence.
Racism is not an opinion, it is a crime.
The words of the President of the YCPR are abject and unacceptable.
The City of Marseille is suspending all its relations with this association.
https://t.co/8NI20r54gn
- Benoît Payan (@BenoitPayan) April 27, 2021
On the side of LREM, the deputy Claire Pitollat castigated remarks "shocking and inadmissible". His counterpart Alexandra Louis, denouncing words "abject (e) s", questioned the attitude of Didier Réault, the vice-president of the Metropolis delegated to the sea and the coast, present at the meeting, who should have "put a stop to this racist intervention" and "make an article 40 to go to court". On Twitter, the latter clarified that he did not "endorse" these words.