“I hereby bring to your attention the existence of facts that may constitute a violation of the ethical rules of the national police”, writes the regional councilor Sarah Kerrich, in a letter addressed to the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN ) as of Wednesday. These facts are tattoos depicting a “supremacist and neo-Nazi” symbol worn by two Lille police officers during Tuesday’s demonstration for the repeal of the pension reform.
It was Ricardo Parreira, a freelance photographer, “former archaeologist passionate about symbols”, who posted on Twitter a series of four photographs clearly showing two police officers wearing a Valknut on their right arm. According to him, this sign is “very popular among white supremacists and neo-Nazis”.
Attack on the values of the Nation
In her letter to the IGPN, the regional councilor further argues: “In France, this symbol is used by the ”QAnons”, a conspiratorial movement of American origin, and the neo-Nazis”, adding that the Valknut “is part of the logo of the UNIP (Unity of Nationalists, Identitarians and Patriots) neo-Nazi movement created in 2016”.
With regard to a circular from the Directorate General of the National Police, and the Internal Security Code, we learn that “tattoos, whether permanent or temporary, cannot be accepted as long as they constitute a sign sign of belonging to a political, trade union, denominational or associative organization or if they undermine the fundamental values of the Nation”.
And, according to Sarah Kerrich, that a police officer wears this symbol “leading to believe the existence of a Western white “race” superior to the others”, effectively undermines the fundamental values of the Nation.