His statements made the political class react. The mayor EELV of Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine) Patrick Chaimovitch was sentenced Tuesday to a fine of 3,000 euros by the court of Nanterre for having compared the “zeal” of the police officers and gendarmes who “track migrants” to that of ” their ancestors ”having“ implemented the Vel d’Hiv roundup ”.
During a ceremony commemorating the roundup in Colombes on July 19, 2020, the 64-year-old elected official declared: “The French police officers, the French gendarmes who obeyed the orders of their superiors by implementing the Vel roundup. d’Hiv and other raids after and elsewhere are the ancestors of those who today, with the same zeal, track down migrants and undocumented migrants ”.
“When we are in a speech, we must summarize”
The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin had denounced “scandalous and unbearable remarks” and lodged a complaint for “public insult” against the national police and gendarmerie At the hearing in May, the public prosecutor had requested a fine of 3,000 euros against the elected, considering that with these words, “we treat the French police officers, by comparing their body under Pétain and their current body, son of collaborators”.
“When you are in a speech, you have to summarize. I tended to pick up a certain number of comments, “Patrick Chaimovitch had indicated at the bar, adding” to understand that the sentence is ambiguous and could have been misunderstood “.
On July 16 and 17, 1942, under the Vichy regime, some 13,000 Jews were arrested at their homes by French police and gendarmes before being assembled at the Vélodrome d’Hiver to be sent to a concentration camp, hence many never returned. On July 16, 1995, Jacques Chirac was the first president to recognize France’s responsibility for the deportations of Jews during World War II.