The mayor of Montpellier files a complaint following a controversial banner
The mayor of Montpellier, Michaël Delafosse, decided to take firm action after a banner associating his name with a Nazi symbol was displayed by the pro-Palestinian BDS movement during a demonstration. Outraged by this act, Mr. Delafosse announced that he would file a complaint for defamation and incitement to hatred. This event sparked strong reactions of support for the mayor, notably from the prefect of Hérault and the Montpellier minister Patricia Mirallès.
An act denounced by the mayor of Montpellier
On Saturday, during a demonstration in support of the Palestinian people on Place de la Comédie, the pro-Palestinian BDS movement exhibited a banner which sparked a wave of indignation. On this banner, we could read: “Israel = genocide, Delafosse complicit”, with a controversial representation of the acronym of the SS, the Nazi military squadron. This provocative association of the name of Michaël Delafosse with the terrible people responsible for the Shoah deeply shocked the elected official.
Reactions and statement from the mayor
The mayor vigorously denounced this infamous assimilation on his social networks. On the social network
Support from authorities and possible consequences
The prefect of Hérault, François-Xavier Lauch, also took to the social network X to express his unwavering support for the mayor. “I note that BDS, despite its denials and commitments, is not breaking with these practices; quite the contrary. They are particularly serious. I will draw all the necessary conclusions with the authorities in my power,” he declared, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
The words of Minister Patricia Mirallès
Faced with these events, the voice of Patricia Mirallès, Montpellier’s Minister for Veterans and Remembrance, also made itself heard. “Instrumentalizing the symbols of Nazi barbarity to target a mayor is abject. In the face of anti-Semitism, the Republic stands firm,” she affirmed, reiterating the government’s commitment to combating all forms of hatred and discrimination. The silence of the BDS movement leader
José-Luis Moragues, the leader of the BDS movement in Montpellier, when contacted for a statement, declined to comment on this event. This silence is troubling, especially in a context where tensions remain high.
Tensions in Montpellier
This latest incident adds to a series of events that have recently shaken the city: assaults at Foot Locker,
tensions in the medical community, and the tragedy surrounding the disappearance of a young lawyer. Montpellier is thus holding its breath in the face of these multiple challenges.