In Orléans, stickers declare “Muslim-free zones,” an investigation is opened

The presence of neo-Nazi stickers on several streets in the city of Orléans (Loiret) has sparked a wave of outrage. Under the title "Muslims prohibited zone," they criticize street prayers, the wearing of the veil, and even alleged fundamentalism. While it is not yet known who the authors are, the website listed at the bottom of the stickers leaves no shadow of a doubt.

Its owner, a resident of Normandy, was recently sentenced to prison, and his website has been offline since mid-May. It featured Nazi flags and "refugees welcome" T-shirts with the entrance gate to the Auschwitz extermination camp in the background. "Until now, identity activists have been using slogans that remained within the legal framework," notes Emmanuel Duplessy, a Green MP for Loiret. "This has taken a step forward, but we fear that, as always, there will be a double standard in the scale of reactions." The elected official has just written to Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, to invite him to "pay particular attention" to the issue of the upsurge in Islamophobic acts.

The Loiret prefect also condemned these racist acts in a brief statement, but with an unusual tone. "The prefect condemns in the strongest possible terms the posting in Orléans of messages inciting hatred, violence, or discrimination against the Muslim community. She is referring the matter to the public prosecutor under Article 40 of the Code of Criminal Procedure." The latter announced the opening of an investigation for "incitement to hatred on the grounds of religion."

The city of Orléans and the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra) of Loiret also announced that they had filed a complaint. "Some elected officials should realize that some of their rhetoric has helped to let the wolf into the sheepfold," emphasizes Emmanuel Duplessy. "I think, for example, that Serge Grouard's (the city's right-wing mayor, editor's note) letter to Muslims has left its mark." In the aftermath of the 2015 terrorist attacks, the mayor recorded a video in which they were particularly threatening toward Muslims in France .

In a joint statement, numerous unions, associations and left-wing parties (Solidaires, Attac, PCF, Family Planning, LFI, etc.) also denounced these acts during a joint meeting.

Further south of the city, the university campus was also the target of numerous stickers with openly racist messages clearly inspired by Nazism . The university president was shocked. "Such wild displays of hateful remarks cannot be tolerated. No form of discrimination, whatever it may be, has a place at the university," the president wrote in a press release, specifying that all the visuals had been removed and that a complaint had also been filed.

These events do not come like lightning from a calm sky, as Emmanuel Duplessy pointed out. Numerous racist, even criminal, acts (the recent fire at the prayer hall in the neighboring town of Jargeau) have marred local life in recent months.