Eric Zemmour’s initiation in Brest was thwarted by opponents, at least one was wounded and two were arrested.

Clashes erupted on the sidelines of a demonstration by opponents of Erik Zemmour on Saturday afternoon in Brest (Finistère). The founder of the far-right Reconquista party came to sign his latest book, I Haven’t Said My Last Word. At least two people were injured and two others were arrested and taken into custody, the subprefecture told AFP. Eric Zemmour, recently convicted of a “racist slur”, blamed the “anti-face” as well as the prefecture, which he said “didn’t do its job”.

At the beginning of the day, about 300 people, including about sixty ultra-leftists, gathered at the Brest City Hall and walked several hundred meters in front of the Oceania Hotel, where Erik Zemmur’s autograph session was planned. , the same source said. According to Ouest-France, the call for the demonstration was launched by various movements: NPA, UDB, AG des Luttes or VISA.

Approaching the hotel, the demonstrators exchanged insults with about thirty sympathizers of the founder of the Reconquista. The same source added that a protester was hit by glass when he kicked a shop window, and a supporter of the former far-right presidential candidate was hit in the forehead. According to the subprefecture, two demonstrators who were arrested threw a barricade through a hotel window.

The police, about fifty gendarmes and police officers, according to Ouest-France, finally dispersed the demonstrators and established a perimeter around the establishment.

Eric Zemmour accuses prefecture of ‘unworthiness’

“When I arrived at 13:00, the first anti-fascists began to insult and threaten me, the police did not intervene,” Eric Zemmour told AFP. “They waited 15 hours for anti-fascists to file charges of brutal violence,” he continued, dismissing any “confrontation” between supporters of the two camps, but rather referring to “deliberate, violent, savage attacks on children, youth, old people, grandmothers.” “.

According to him, the sub-prefecture “didn’t do its job” and was “unworthy”. “Either it’s political or it’s hostile. Or it is negligence and mediocrity. And in both cases, he is guilty,” he added, asking for “explanations and sanctions.” Marion Maréchal, vice president of the Reconquête, also believes that “the prefecture is clearly responsible.” “There is an absolute failure in the management of counter-protesters who were able to walk up to the room without any charges from the police,” she said on Twitter.

Autograph session under police guard

According to Diane Ovry, press consultant for Eric Zemmour, who was present in Brest, “it was very fast. About 70 people were quietly waiting in front of the hotel for the beginning of the dedication, scheduled for approximately 3:00 pm. The demonstrators moved towards the hotel. So we brought in people who were waiting for dedication to protect them,” she told AFP.

“Black blocks threw shells, crushed the head of a poor young man who was taken away by the fire brigade. They broke the windows of the hotel, threw smoke bombs inside. The police are now in front of the hotel,” she said, adding that a “security device” was planned in response to calls for a demonstration.

The autograph session of the former Figaro and CNews controversialist continued into the afternoon, with about 100 to 150 of his supporters entering and leaving the hotel under police guard, according to the police subprefecture. Eric Zemmour, whose autograph tour was accompanied by demonstrations for three months, said he wanted to continue “until the holidays.” His movements are regularly marred by violence.