A tweet described as a “target in the back”, and concrete consequences. Gérald Darmanin announced, Monday, December 4, that he had placed LCI journalist Ruth Elkrief under police protection, accused on Sunday by Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the social network X of being a “fanatic” and of despising Muslims.

“I decided this morning, given the threats from Mr. Mélenchon and others, since it is an outburst of hatred on the Internet, to provide police protection” to the columnist, declared the Minister of the Interior , on BFM-TV/RMC. “He puts a target on the back of Ms. Elkrief who has already had many threats as a journalist,” added Mr. Darmanin, pointing out the “irresponsibility” of the leader of France Insoumise (LFI).

For his part, government spokesperson Olivier Véran described Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s declaration on Monday morning as a “despicable attack”. “Calling Ruth Elkrief a fanatic is extremely serious,” said Mr. Véran on RTL.

“Ruth Elkrief. Manipulative. If we do not insult Muslims, this fanatic becomes indignant,” wrote Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Middle East. ” What a shame ! Well done Manuel Bompard for the reply. Elkrief reduces all political life to his contempt for Muslims,” he continued.

Accusations of anti-Semitism

Asked about the accusations of anti-Semitism made against Jean-Luc Mélenchon after these messages, Gérald Darmanin considered that “it is above all a journalist who is attacked”, not wanting to “make a bad controversy again”. “Mr. Mélenchon is not the greatest defender of Jews that I know,” he added, however.

“Jean-Luc Mélenchon explains to you that the bosses are bastards, that the police kill and that now the journalists are fanatics. At some point, we must ask ourselves the question of the place that Jean-Luc Mélenchon occupies in the public debate,” said Mr. Véran.

“It is unacceptable that in France a journalist is the subject of pressure and insults and that she cannot fulfill her information mission in safety,” declared, for his part, the President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher . “How far will Jean-Luc Mélenchon go in his provocations? » The president of the Republicans, Eric Ciotti, described the rebellious leader as a “collaborator of the Islamists” and a “dark and vulgar thrower of fatwas”.

The TF1 group, parent company of the LCI news channel, assured on Sunday on

To which Jean-Luc Mélenchon responded, still on This type of method discredits its authors. »