Eric Zemmour's movement Reconquest!
in Gironde denounced Friday in a statement "the baseness of the town hall of Bordeaux", assuring that Wednesday morning "agents (municipal) entered the cathedral (Saint-André) in order to withdraw it".
"It is shameful and very low to use Christmas to serve the hateful electoral propaganda of Eric Zemmour", reacted Laurent Guillemin, the deputy mayor in particular in charge of worship.
Contacted by AFP, the diocese of Bordeaux explains that the fir tree was indeed removed from the entrance to the cathedral, but by "mutual agreement" with the municipality, after understanding that its installation a few days earlier on the Place Pey-Berland was the work of a "politicized group".
"We avoid that very politicized elements are present in places of worship, for reasons of neutrality", justified Father Samuel Volta, vicar general of the diocese.
Last Saturday, Generation Z, the movement of young supporters of presidential candidate Eric Zemmour, boasted on social networks of the installation of a 3 m high Christmas tree on the cathedral square.
Either a few meters from the glass tree of the municipality of Pierre Hurmic, sharply criticized a year ago for its refusal to install "a dead tree" at Christmas.
"The ecological ideology in danger in the face of the eternity of our French traditions", had tweeted Generation Z.
Faced with this occupation "without authorization", the municipality had requested that the tree be moved.
"A group of young people proposed to the sacristan to recover it, and not knowing who it was, he accepted, as we also accept flowers, we often receive donations," said Father Samuel Volta.
Subsequently, the Church "saw fit not to keep the tree".
"It seemed better to us not to add fuel to the fire", underlined the vicar who did not wish to see the tree "wasted" either.
The town hall informed AFP that it had been donated to an association specializing in the reception of migrants.
© 2021 AFP