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⛔️ A Racist Attack in the Assembly

www.frenchdispatch.eu

⛔️ A Racist Attack in the Assembly

Thursday's scenes in the Assemblée Nationale shocked many, and the racist attack on Carlos Marten BIlongo drew anger from all sides of the political spectrum

Julien Hoez
Nov 4, 2022
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⛔️ A Racist Attack in the Assembly

www.frenchdispatch.eu
La France Insoumise deputy Carlos Marten Bilongo flanked by shocked and outraged colleagues

What happened?

Stepping up to the podium during a parliamentary session of questions directed towards the governments, Carlos Marten Bilongo (LFI / NUPES) was giving an intervention regarding the ‘drama surrounding illegal immigration’, questioning the government on what it was doing to deal with the ongoing issues regarding topic.

Unfortunately, before he could get to the meat of his question for the government, Grégoire de Fournas (RN), decided that it was more important to yell out what may have been one of two things: Either “they should go back to Africa” or that deputy Bilongo “should go back to Africa”.

The immediate reaction was nothing short of carnage, with the majority of the deputies present loudly protesting the racist outburst, while the Rassemblement National attempted to defend their colleague, and say that his words were being twisted.

Almost immediately, the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, was forced to stop the session, “given the seriousness of the facts" and "legitimate emotion" that the parliamentarians were dealing with., as well as the need for the bureau of the assembly to meet and decide on sanctions for the offending deputy. An extremely rare occurrence.

Reacting with Dignity, Carlos Martens Bilongo was clear about his thoughts of the outburst,.

"Today, I was sent back to my skin color. I was born in France, I am a French deputy…We see the real face of the National Rally. It's shameful (...) I thank all the deputies who joined me”

Twitter avatar for @LCP
LCP @LCP
"Aujourd'hui, on m'a renvoyé à ma couleur de peau. Je suis né en France, je suis député français", réagit @BilongoCarlos. >> "On voit la vraie face du Rassemblement national. C'est honteux (...) Je remercie tous les députés qui ont fait bloc avec moi". #DirectAN #QAG
4:16 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
1,898Likes795Retweets

What was the reaction from the other parties?

The reaction across the parties was strong, with condemnation of the racism unquestioned across the leadership, such as Renaissance leader Stéphane Séjourné:

Twitter avatar for @steph_sejourne
Stéphane Séjourné @steph_sejourne
Ce qui s'est passé cet après-midi est d'une gravité exceptionnelle : cela implique des sanctions exceptionnelles. Nul ne peut ceindre l'écharpe tricolore après avoir tenu de tels propos : Marine Le Pen doit exiger sa démission sans délai. Indéfectible soutien à @BilongoCarlos.
4:17 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
1,184Likes424Retweets

“What happened this afternoon is exceptionally serious: it involves exceptional sanctions. No one can put on the tricolor scarf after having made such remarks: Marine Le Pen must demand his resignation without delay. Unwavering support for @BilongoCarlos.”

Eric Ciotti, the potential leader of Les Républicains who is currently campaigning for election, likewise criticised the “scandalous” statement:

Twitter avatar for @ECiotti
Eric Ciotti @ECiotti
Je condamne avec fermeté les propos d’une extrême gravité tenus aujourd’hui par un député au sein de l’hémicycle de notre assemblée. Scandaleux de la part d’un représentant de la République.
6:22 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
455Likes93Retweets

“I strongly condemn the extremely serious remarks made today by a deputy in the hemicycle of our assembly. Scandalous from a representative of the Republic.”

Olivier Faure, First secretary of the Parti Socialiste, pointed out that the true “face” of Le Pen’s party had resurfaced:

Twitter avatar for @faureolivier
Olivier Faure @faureolivier
Quand le vernis du RN craque, c’est toujours le même visage qui réapparaît. Celui du racisme. Sous le costume cravate suinte toujours le poison de l’extrême-droite. Soutien et amitiés à @BilongoCarlos #DirectAN https://t.co/1XlWHhWxOZ
Twitter avatar for @2022Elections
Élections 2022 @2022Elections
🔴⚡️ Lors de la question du député LFI-#NUPES Carlos Martens Bilongo sur l'immigration, celui-ci a été interrompu par un parlementaire du Rassemblement national lui hurlant "Retourne en Afrique !". En conséquence, la séance à été suspendue. #DirectAN https://t.co/dL4jGUZyjj
5:49 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
657Likes205Retweets

“When the varnish of the RN cracks, it is always the same face which reappears. That of racism. Beneath the suit and tie still oozes far-right poison. Support and friendships to @BilongoCarlos #DirectAN”

President Emmanuel Macron, for his part, was said to have been shocked, according to his entourage:

"The president is shocked by these words which in the hemicycle as outside the hemicycle are intolerable…[he gives his] support to the insulted parliamentarian”


What did the RN have to say?

Naturally, with a party congress on the way and a vote on the future leader of their party, the party was in fine form and ready to defend their guy.

Image
Rassemblement National deputy Grégoire de Fournas

For his part, de Fournas doesn’t seem to believe that he has done anything wrong, and in an interview with BFM TV, his statement has been twisted:

Twitter avatar for @BFMTV
BFMTV @BFMTV
🔴 "Qu'ils retournent en Afrique": le député Grégoire de Fournas assure que ses propos ont été déformés
4:25 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
3,150Likes1,056Retweets

“[I] did not speak [of Carlos Martens Bilongo, but] of the boat smuggler of migrants…In reality, there was nothing problematic. It is in our program, the fact of stopping the migratory floodgates” he explained, denouncing “a manipulation” by La France Insoumise, who according to him, “seeks to distort [his] remarks to make [his] remarks disgusting”

He later made a similar defence on Twitter, putting the scandal down to a manipulation by the Insoumises:

Twitter avatar for @gdefournas
Grégoire de Fournas @gdefournas
Honteuse manipulation de LFI qui détourne mes propos. Lorsque mon collègue député de LFI évoque SOS Méditerranée, j’assume pleinement d’avoir répondu « qu’ils retournent en Afrique ». Ma réponse concernait le bateau et les migrants, évidemment pas mon collègue.
6:28 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
8,172Likes2,565Retweets

“Shameful manipulation by LFI which hijacks my remarks. When my colleague MP from LFI mentions SOS Méditerranée, I fully assume that I answered “that they are going back to Africa”. My answer was about the boat and the migrants, obviously not my colleague.”

Marine le Pen jumped in to support her MP, arguing that her opposition were playing games with “crude” controversies:

Twitter avatar for @MLP_officiel
Marine Le Pen @MLP_officiel
Grégoire de Fournas a évidemment parlé des migrants transportés en bateaux par les ONG qu’évoquait notre collègue dans sa question au gouvernement. La polémique créée par nos adversaires politiques est grossière et ne trompera pas les Français.
5:38 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
8,261Likes2,062Retweets

“Grégoire de Fournas obviously spoke of the migrants transported in boats by the NGOs mentioned by our colleague in his question to the government. The controversy created by our political adversaries is crude and will not deceive the French.”

Her heir presumptive did very similar, flipping the script and decrying an “alliance of extreme dishonesty” between La France Insoumise and Elizabeth Borne’s government:

Twitter avatar for @J_Bardella
Jordan Bardella @J_Bardella
Le député @gdefournas évoquait le retour de bateaux de migrants dans les ports d'Afrique, comme le confirment les huissiers de l'Assemblée nationale. L'alliance de l'extrême malhonnêteté entre la France insoumise et le gouvernement est pitoyable et ne trompera personne.
4:59 PM ∙ Nov 3, 2022
7,176Likes2,282Retweets

“The deputy @gdefournas mentioned the return of migrant boats to African ports, as confirmed by the ushers of the National Assembly. The alliance of extreme dishonesty between rebellious France and the government is pitiful and will not deceive anyone.”


What next?

The office of the assembly - bringing together the president, the six vice-presidents, the three quaestors and the twelve secretaries - will meet at 14h30 today to decide on greater sanctions, and will then pronounce what the sanctions will be, which may be far harsher than the RN expects.

However, the big impact will be the damage to Le Pen’s attempts to rehabilitate and make respectable her party, and who will now have to compete with the overwhelming evidence of a racist mentality within at least as portion of her party, which will provide plenty of ammunition for her opponents.


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⛔️ A Racist Attack in the Assembly

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