These are two videos that have very much made the political class react. In the first sequence, revealed by Mediapart, a young man fires several cartridges with a rifle. Its targets? Raquel Garrido, the ex-spokesperson for La France insoumise, and his companion, the rebellious deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis Alexis Corbière. Also in the shooter’s sight: “antifas and leftists” and people of North African origins. In the second video, another man positioned in the same shooting range wears a white cap “Well let’s see!”, Eric Zemmour’s tic of language, which has since become a slogan of the far-right candidate’s campaign. His targets, always imaginary, are this time “of the young gaucho, of the young communist, of the young mental bougnoule” and “Emmanuel Macron”. An investigation for “death threats” and “incitement to provoke a crime” was opened on Tuesday, December 21 speak National center for the fight against online hatred, announced the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Videos from the Instagram account of a man posing as a “soldier”
According to Release, these videos revealed on Twitter by Raphaël Arnault, the spokesperson for the antifascite group Jeune Garde, originally come from the Instagram story of an individual who uses the pseudonym “Miles Christi”.
This young man is, according to Mediapart, the one who directly threatens the LFI deputy Alexis Corbière and his companion Raquel Garrido in the first video. In this sequence of nearly two minutes, rifle in hand, he indicates that he goes “train to hunt wild Garrido “, which he compares to a “sow”. He fires a first cartridge then a second, citing the name this time of Alexis Corbière. “Two bullets, three dead, it ricocheted off an antifa behind”, he laughs, facing the camera.
In another sequence, the same man has other imaginary targets – “antifas and leftists “ – and loose: “IThere are Algerian and Moroccan flags, so we will hurry to shoot. ” According to Release, who had access to his private Instagram account, the man introduces himself as “military” and “Catholic”. In a photo published a few months ago on Instagram, he appears in lattice, handling a mortar, according to Mediapart.
The second shooter shows his sympathy for Eric Zemmour on social networks
The second individual filmed on the other video, with a “Ben voir” cap screwed on his head, is an assumed support of Eric Zemmour on social networks. According to Mediapart, the banner of his Twitter profile is illustrated by a photo of the candidate for the Milipol armaments fair, which had targeted journalists.
On social networks, the young man also says he attended Eric Zemmour’s meeting on December 5 in Villepinte: “Patriotic rally for the Z!” he wrote, sharing images of the political event, where violence had already erupted between ultra-right activists and anti-racists.
“We must stop dramatizing this affair: we let go a little with humor and otherwise there is nothing bad“, he justified himself to Mediapart, by asserting that he not support the far-right candidate but “like his ideas very much“.
Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière filed a complaint, not Emmanuel Macron
Raquel Garrido and Alexis Corbière immediately decided to file a complaint and an investigation for “death threats” and “incitement to provoke a crime” was opened by the National center for the fight against hatred, according to the Paris prosecutor’s office. “The important thing is that a serious investigation be carried out, because this story is really petrifying and distressing for my clients “, confirms to franceinfo, Xavier Sauvignet, the lawyer for the two figures of La France insoumise.
Regarding the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, also targeted by the two armed individuals, no legal proceedings have yet been officially initiated. The Pharos platform in charge of the fight against illegal content on the Internet was also seized after several reports from Internet users.
Eric Zemmour tries to dissociate himself from the “pitiful spectacle” of his supporters
The 2022 presidential candidate finally reacted on Wednesday, December 22 by posting a press release on Twitter. “You are not one of my supporters, or of my activists, and even less of my friends. I condemn in advance anything you do in my name during my campaign. I do not want your support or your help.” , did he declare. In this same press release, the former polemicist also denounced “a pitiful sight” committed by “a miserable handful of idiots “.
But the far-right candidate also invited the two leaders of La France insoumise to do “the same thing” that he, that is to say of “definitively denounce the antifas who [le] harass “ and of “dstate publicly that you condemn them without appeal, whatever they do “, ensuring that “violence has always been on the extreme left side, never on the [sien]“.
Alexis Corbière’s response was swift : “Eric Zemmour pretends to discover the effects of his hateful words on the minds of his supporters. You are primarily responsible for the violence, harassment, intimidation and death threats committed in your name and in the name of your words!”