He explained that he was “heavily insulted” when he arrived at the court by the few anti-fascist demonstrators present near the judicial precinct. Monday September 11, a far-right activist was tried before the Rennes criminal court for having participated in a demonstration against a reading by drag queens in the town of Saint-Senoux (Ille-et-Vilaine) on May 15. Very sure of himself, this 24-year-old man who led the local committee of the small far-right group Action Française was the only identifiable demonstrator that day, making him the only defendant called to the stand. After contesting it and lying to the police, he admitted before the judges to being the person who had read the leaflet into a megaphone where he had denounced “decadent delusions”. He then launched homophobic slogans like “LGBT degenerates” or “More France, less trans” while his comrades displayed a banner reading “Instill our roots in our children, do not impose drag- queens.”
This lightning action had lasted only a few minutes in the hollow of a peaceful afternoon in a quiet town of barely 2,000 inhabitants. Broadcast by the very young L’Oriflamme movement on its social networks, this demonstration was widely relayed by the national media. “We didn’t want to attack people, but to attack an ideology, a lobby. Besides, there was no violence. Above all, we had to defend the children on whom we tried to pour an ideology. Our goal was not to put an end to reading, but to get people talking about it. I consider this action successful, because all the media covered it,” declared the defendant on the stand, congratulating himself on having “appeared on BFMTV”. “I don’t regret what I did, because the important thing is to defend our country. There was no violence. I carry a political message. I am not targeting specific people, ”he hammered with confidence, before continuing a little later. “My peace is me and Christ. My objective is to do the good of France. And for me, the good of France is not to organize drag-queen readings. »
“For me, he does not assume his responsibility”
This May day, a reading workshop had been organized by the town hall of Saint-Senoux and led by drag queens under the title “create your storytelling character”. It had been disturbed by about twenty militants dressed in black and hooded who had brandished a smoke bomb before the arrival of the gendarmes. “I am still moved by this story. We had planned a soft reading, dressed as a robot or a snail, without any ideology, ”assured one of the participants, who filed a civil action. “I was extremely shocked,” added another complainant. “As a facilitator, I was shocked by the violence. I find it revolting, ”added a young woman at the helm. “Monsieur seems very intelligent. He seems intimately convinced that he has done no harm. For me, he does not assume his responsibility. I am here as mayor to assume my responsibility. I assume completely because it is many artists who have made this reading, ”testified the mayor of the town, who had filed a complaint.
The lawyer for the victims pleaded in the same direction: “He hides behind the policy. We can have all opinions, as long as it is not a crime. For me, he went beyond opinions. He dresses all of this in a very elaborate discourse. We can’t come and shout hateful slogans like he did and use terms like degenerate. By authorizing behavior like that, we put a target on people’s backs, ”argued Me Benjamin Mayzaud. “Hate cannot be answered with hate. You are not a victim, you are simply someone who utters words prohibited by law,” argued the prosecutor, before requesting six months in prison and a ban on participating in a demonstration for three years.
The defendant was prosecuted both for public insult, public incitement to hatred and violence because of sexual orientation or gender identity, but also for concealment of the face. The decision was reserved for October 9.
“I have some oratorical qualities”
Already convicted in 2020 for having degraded the permanence of an elected LREM from Sarthe on the sidelines of a Yellow Vest demonstration, the defendant was also prosecuted for organizing a demonstration without declaration. “I was not the one who had to take the megaphone that day. But the person who was supposed to do it was not there. I have a militant past, I have some oratorical qualities so I volunteered. I sacrificed myself. But I am not the one who leads the troop”, defended the defendant, son of “proletarian and unfortunately separated parents”.
Questioned by the president about his role within L’Oriflamme, he tried to minimize his involvement within the small group born in Rennes in January 2023 and resulting from the split from Action Française. “I was part of the office, but I left it,” assured the defendant, who had to step aside “to prepare for the ENA entrance exam” and take the time to take care of his son. “And if you had to do it again, would you do it again?” », asks the president. “If it’s to go to court, no,” he concluded. In a long pleading, his lawyer pleaded for release. Verdict in four weeks.