The first meeting of candidate Zemmour began with violence. Before going on stage, the far-right polemicist was first slightly injured in the wrist by an activist Les Républicains who grabbed him by the collar. Arrested by the police, the latter has since been indicted for willful violence. The Bobigny public prosecutor’s office also opened an investigation into the violence committed against SOS Racism activists who came to protest in the room against the candidate. “It’s one of the things to deal with for the next meetings. We will adjust the security system, but we will not prevent ourselves from holding meetings everywhere in France, ”explains the entourage of the former journalist.
The smooth running of Eric Zemmour’s meetings and travel was entrusted at the beginning of September to the Ultreïa company, founded by Alberic Dumont. The team of this former figure of the Manif pour tous mobilized no less than 204 people to secure the Villepinte meeting, including 80 professional security agents employed directly by his company.
“One of the most harassed and threatened men in France”
“The members of the close protection pole who work with me are all former soldiers and therefore real security professionals”, explained Albéric Dumont to franceinfo. “During the meeting, as Beauvau wanted directly to ensure the close security of Eric Zemmour, my team leader, who is a former parachutist, then fell back on the security of Sarah Knafo”, companion and close advisor to the candidate.
How then to explain the excesses of last Sunday? “He is one of the most harassed and threatened men in France. There was no breach in security but we can still make adjustments, including reviewing the width of the aisles, we know in the entourage of the candidate. We talk to the Interior to see what works, and what works less. It is not necessarily the number of people working for your security that is at stake, but how to deal with moments of fervor and tension. “
An order service “not at the level”
Albéric Dumont’s teams must coordinate with the police from the Protection Service, assigned by the Ministry of the Interior to the candidate’s security. Six officers follow him on each of his public trips. These agents surrounded him when he was assaulted on Sunday. “Following Villepinte, discussions took place between SDLP and the campaign team. It was decided that depending on the candidate’s activities and his travels, the security system could be adapted ”, indicates to 20 minutes a source within the Ministry of the Interior. Place Beauvau also invited Eric Zemmour’s team to “strengthen its security service, which was obviously not up to standard”.
Among the personalities who are the subject of special protection of the Ministry of the Interior, the conservative candidate is classified “T3”, which means that he is, like others, “potentially threatened”. At the end of April, when he had not yet entered the race for the Elysee Palace, Eric Zemmour was notably followed by a man who filmed and insulted him. However, Place Beauvau does not plan, for the moment, to classify it at the upper level – “T2” – and to increase its level of protection.