Allegory of Justice (illustration). – M.Libert / 20 Minutes
Last Saturday, during a demonstration in support of the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip, a banner bearing a swastika was displayed in Lille, in the north. The Lille prosecutor opened an investigation, we learned on Tuesday, from the prosecution.
Numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations were organized on Saturday across France in reaction to clashes between the Israeli army and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. In Lille, hundreds of people gathered on the Grand’Place.
The State of Israel associated with the Nazi regime
Among the crowd, a banner held by three women and a man caught the attention of a reporter covering the protest. Under the slogan “Israel = Terrorist State”, one could see the flag of Israel associated with that of the Nazi regime bearing a swastika. The photo, posted by the journalist on Twitter before being deleted, still sparked outrage.
Sunday, the prefect of the North had indicated in a statement that he had seized the prosecutor of the Republic on this subject. Tuesday, the prosecution therefore confirmed the opening of an investigation “of the head of public provocation to hatred or violence because of origin, ethnicity, nation, race or religion by word, writes , image or means of communication to the public by electronic means ”.