An 18-year-old young man, suspected of being involved in violence against SOS Racism activists during the meeting of presidential candidate Eric Zemmour in Villepinte (Seine-Saint-Denis), was arrested this Wednesday morning, announced the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office, confirming information from France 3.
This arrest comes the day after that of the alleged leader of the ultra-right “Zouaves Paris” Marc de Cacqueray-Valmenier, who was arrested by the Research and Intervention Brigade (BRI) of the police headquarters.
Punches and throws of chairs
The two men were taken into custody on charges of “willful violence resulting in an ITT of less than 8 days”, aggravated by two circumstances (meeting and weapon), said the Bobigny prosecutor’s office in a press release. On December 5, during the first campaign meeting of candidate Eric Zemmour in Villepinte, several SOS Racisme activists, who had exhibited “No to racism” t-shirts, were attacked with fists and throwing chairs by support of the polemicist.
The use of video surveillance and the work of the investigation services have made it possible to identify several suspected perpetrators, according to the prosecution. Several media had identified Marc de Cacqueray-Valmenier as one of the alleged attackers. The latter has already been sentenced to six months suspended prison sentence in January 2019 for violence committed during the “yellow vests” demonstrations on December 1, 2018.
Eleven complaints filed
On RTL, Eric Zemmour said Wednesday about the “Zouaves” and the violence that marked his meeting: “I do not control all the people who come, I (do) not know these people. They were there, not there, justice will decide ”. The candidate, however, considered that the violence denounced was “epsilonesques, marginal”, accusing “people of SOS racism” of having “provoked” them.
Eleven complaints were lodged by SOS Racisme activists out of the 12 present at the meeting. Among them, nine presented themselves to the forensic units, which issued medical certificates establishing ITTs ranging from 0 to 8 days, the prosecution said. Gérald Darmanin announced on Sunday that he had initiated the procedure for the dissolution of the “Zouaves”, heirs of GUD, the former far-right student union.