Internet users, very indignant, denounced the destruction of menhirs in Carnac for the construction of a DIY store. “I lived three days that I would not wish on my worst enemy”, confides the mayor Olivier Lepick who is under the protection of the gendarmes.
“I will not be intimidated by the digital hate courts”, testified Friday, June 9 on franceinfo, Olivier Lepick, mayor of Carnac (Morbihan). Accused of having allowed 39 menhirs to be destroyed to build a DIY store, the elected official claims to have received death threats. He denounces a “fake news”because “it is not 39 menhirs, but four stones which could possibly be menhirs which were destroyed“. The city councilor has since been under the protection of the gendarmes and says he has no intention of resigning. He denounces“a digital and digital manhunt”, provoked by an article from a newspaper of the regional daily press which published information “unverified”.
franceinfo: What exactly are you being accused of?
Olivier Lepick: It’s a fairly simple and common story, unfortunately, in our society. It’s a digital, digital manhunt. There was an administrative blunder which led to the destruction of a minor archaeological site, as the Drac (Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs) recognized a few hours ago. This triggered a kind of tsunami of hatred on social networks that affected my wife, while I was away from Carnac, which is always very distressing. My children have received hundreds of extremely violent messages. Me, I received death threats, I was threatened with burning down my house for something that is fake news. There is a newspaper of the PQR (regional daily press) which took up the words of an amateur archaeologist absolutely not competent in the field. Despite my requests for publication delays so that I can consult the Drac and the competent services, this newspaper published this information which was taken up by all the national media without verification. From there, the tsunami is triggered and you are all alone in the face of social networks, threats, hatred. I am not infallible, I can make mistakes, but in the circumstances, the municipality of Carnac made no mistake. We scrupulously respected the law.
Were you scared? Was the sub-prefect right to call on the gendarmes to put in place protection?
No, I am not afraid. Maybe because it’s not in my nature. And those dumps of hate that I received never stopped me from sleeping. On the other hand, it prevented my wife and my children from sleeping. State services were beyond reproach. The sub-prefect was more than considerate, he was very diligent. I think as a precaution, it’s quite reassuring to know that we are protected. But what I denounce is this society of vindictiveness, of lynching, this society of violence. And I think the media space has a responsibility. I was very surprised, many major national media that I respected, took over without checking information that suggested that I had authorized the construction of a DIY store in the alignments of Carnac.
What really happened?
We are in a commercial and artisanal zone, three kilometers from the alignments, it is not 39 menhirs but four stones which could possibly be menhirs, which were indeed, and it is very unfortunate, destroyed. But we are very far from the images that I could see that accused me of being corrupt and of having touched an envelope. They have embellished this article with photos of the alignments of Carnac which are three kilometers away, suggesting that I had authorized the construction of a DIY store in an exceptional site. I can understand people who just read the title without clicking on the article. I was a rotten, a bastard. I deserved to die. I think it’s a drift that is terrible in our society. Today, we execute people, we put a tire around their neck, we light it and without even knowing if there is a reality behind the accusations against them.
Do you know who is behind these threats and are you going to take legal action?
It’s very difficult to know. Most people who profess this kind of insults or threats take refuge behind the anonymity of profiles on Twitter. Yes, I want to file a complaint. The prefect, the sub-prefect, encourage me to do so. But, frankly, after the week that I have just had, do I want to spend 4 hours at the gendarmerie skimming my mobile phone to check and find all the insults and serious threats that I have received, knowing that I don’t even know if it will lead to anything? Unfortunately, we rarely manage to find those responsible for these digital courts. I don’t know if I’m going to file a complaint because I have other things to do and as mayor of a municipality, I have a lot to do tomorrow, I receive my fellow citizens from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. And really, I’ve had three days that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
Are you considering quitting?
Not a single second. I do not judge the decision taken by the mayor of Saint-Brevin. Me, I’m straight in my boots. I did nothing wrong and I believe that the possible legal developments in this case will prove it. I have scrupulously complied with the law and I will not be intimidated by the digital hate courts. No way. But our society must think about how we deliver food. And I think the media can’t publish without checking, without going to the source. In very prestigious newspapers, I noted that one took again word for word an initial article in which appeared enormities not verified. That’s what ignited the fuse in that stick of dynamite that eventually exploded.