Christian Eurgal is threatened with death and placed under police protection after the videographer took a stand against him in a case which pits the elected official against a farmer in his town.
No, he will not resign. The mayor of the small town of Montjoi, in the Tarn-et-Garonne, reaffirmed on Saturday June 3 his desire to remain in office, despite the threats of which he is the target today. The source of these malicious messages? Christian Eurgal was the subject of a video by far-right YouTuber Papacito last month, in which he is accused of taking a stand against a farmer during a dispute between neighbors, which has earned him numerous intimidation and the protection of law enforcement now reinforced.
The case actually goes back several months, and even more: “It’s a story that began 18 years ago”, retraced the mayor on CNews, Sunday, June 4, about an old dispute between a breeder and the municipality. Last September, the farmer was also sentenced to 5,000 euros suspended after a complaint from the mayor for kidnapping. It was following this conviction that the “sore loser”according to the mayor, contact Papacito.
Last November, the far-right youtubeur published a first video on the mayor of Montjoi. The videographer, who had been for a time targeted by an investigation for public provocation for murder, in 2021, denounces the local action of the elected official, accused of having favored an English resident at the expense of the farmer. The video is withdrawn after a few days, but the first threats are made against Christian Eurgal and certain municipal councillors.
The chosen one compared to a “weasel”
The intimidation does not fade and the prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne pays a surprise visit to the city councilor in mid-February to support him. She then sent him a letter from Gérald Darmanin, in which the Minister of the Interior insisted on the fact that “the competent State services are fully mobilized in order to guarantee [sa] protection”. A month later, Christian Eurgal is received by Dominique Faure, the Minister Delegate in charge of Local Authorities.
But Papacito continues to provoke the mayor. On May 11, the far-right YouTuber published a video in which he again attacked Christian Eurgal and now likened him to a “weasel” who must be hunted and captured. Accompanied by the farmer involved in the dispute, the influencer tries to confront the elected official, obviously without protection, inside the town hall of Montjoi. At the end of this 42-minute video, the giant stuffed “weasel”, camped by a relative of the videographer, is captured and subjected to a fictitious rape, before being left for dead in a quarry.
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Three weeks after the publication of the video, viewed more than 500,000 times, Christian Eurgal speaks. “They call to catch me, beat me and rape me”denounces the mayor to The Dispatch. He mentions the many threats he has received and the hostility that has multiplied: the home of the British resident involved in the dispute has been sprayed with red paint and graffiti “Eurgal fouine de Montjoi” has been painted on the streets in and around the town.
Six complaints filed, an investigation opened
This is what prompted the mayor of Montjoi to file six complaints for defamation, incitement to hatred or even calling for violence, as claimed by The Parisian Sunday, June 4. An investigation for public insult against a person holding public authority was opened this week by Bruno Sauvage, the prosecutor of Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne).
Placed under reinforced protection, Christian Eurgal however excludes returning his tricolor scarf in the face of threats from fans of youtuber Papacito. “I was told to be careful of the people I passed with their hands in their pockets, we’re not there yet. But I’m holding on”he told the Parisian.
“I don’t want to resign, that would prove these gangsters right. I have confidence in our Republic.”
Christian Eurgal, mayor of Montjoiin “The Parisian”
Will the video stay online? Seized, the Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes (OCLCH) can try to have the video deleted from YouTube, advances The Dispatch. But the videographer known for his provocations warned those who would like to blacklist his productions: “There is no point in censoring my videos, the more they are censored, the more aggressive and thorough my investigation will be”he threatens in his long video on Montjoi.