President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday denounced the attack on a great-nephew of his wife Brigitte on the sidelines of a demonstration against pension reform.
“These are unacceptable and unspeakable acts,” he said upon arriving at a Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik. “Violence has no place in a democracy. […] No form of violence is justified,” he said. “As an uncle, I consider these actions absolutely unacceptable, and as President of the Republic […], unspeakable,” he said.
Jean-Baptiste Trogneux, 30, owner of the famous chocolate factory of the same name in Amiens, was taken to task by several people who participated in a “casserolade” against the law on pensions. The attackers hit him on the head, arms and legs before fleeing. “Violence has no place in any democracy whatsoever and especially in ours,” insisted Emmanuel Macron.
“No form of violence is justified because verbal violence leads to physical violence and violence against property leads to violence against people,” he said. The president thanked politicians on all sides for their “words of support, solidarity and respect” after the attack.
He also had a thought for the elected officials who “because they have responsibilities on the ground are the subject of aggression and attacks”. The mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (Loire-Atlantique) resigned after being targeted by arson for having approved a project for a reception center for asylum seekers in his town.
“We will continue to fight against all forms of violence wherever it comes from and whoever is affected in our society”, assured the Head of State. “All politicians must continue to condemn violence and those who sometimes justify violence. I think that this agreement should also allow us to prevent these overflows from happening, ”he said.
