Rennes (AFP)

Floured Friday evening in the center of Nantes, François de Rugy, head of the LREM regional list in Pays de la Loire, denounced on Saturday a "trivialization" of violence in politics.

The deputy for Loire-Atlantique was with running mates and activists at Place du Bouffay, in central Nantes, during a campaign action, when a young woman threw flour in his face before fleeing.

She was arrested a few moments later by two plainclothes police officers from the public transport security brigade.

The video of the scene was posted in the evening on the Facebook page of the ultra-left collective "Nantes Révoltée", accompanied by a small text: "After the lobster and the champagne, after the social housing of Orvault at the taxpayer costs, after his reversals of jacket, his lies and his opportunism, a person reminded François de Rugy that he is not welcome at #Nantes ".

"We can see that it is premeditated and that it is the radical left, we do not walk with a packet of flour in his handbag", reacted Saturday to AFP the former minister of Ecological transition, which filed a complaint. "There was someone filming, and less than two hours later it was almost claimed with a video which, in addition, was posted on the Nantes Révoltée Facebook page which is the channel of expression of the extreme. Nantes left ".

"There is a general context which is to attack more and more elected officials, without limits. We have seen what happened with Emmanuel Macron, in both cases they are very politicized people, people for whom violence is part of the modes of political action. I consider that we should not let that pass. There is a trivialization of violence in politics, in particular against the deputies against whom there has never been so many attacks, "regretted the LREM candidate.

According to Mr. de Rugy, the person who floured it is "about 25 years old and has already been convicted of acts of violence during demonstrations".

In October 2018, the PS mayor of Nantes Johanna Rolland was also flourished by activists supporting migrants in a market in the city.

© 2021 AFP