French police have arrested a man on suspicion of throwing flour on Jean-Luc Melenchon, a far-left French politician. The incident took place on Saturday, during a street march in the capital, Paris. A second man has also been arrested. The politician and his followers were staging a demonstration against extreme right ideology. The suspect who threw flour is a member of the far-right and has been charged with “voluntary violence.”
Melenchon was speaking to journalists at Place de Clichy before the rally began when his face and body was doused by flour by the suspect. Initially he responded with humor saying that “white suits me.” Later he called the act “cowardly.”
Je condamne avec la plus extrême fermeté l'enfarinage de #Mélenchon au nom du respect que j'ai pour la #farine. Quel gaspillage ! #MarcheDesLibertes pic.twitter.com/5UOBBmVxvd
— Gilbert Collard (@GilbertCollard) June 12, 2021
Incidentally, he is not the first politician to be greeted with flour by those who are against politicians and their ideology. In the past, French protesters have used food to heckle political figures. Two recent former French Presidents who have also been showered with flour instead of confetti or petals are Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.
"Rends le homard !" : De Rugy enfariné !
Après le homard et le champagne, après le logement social d'Orvault aux frais du contribuable, après ses retournements de veste, ses mensonges et son opportunisme, une citoyenne à rappelé à @FdeRugy qu'il n'est pas bienvenu à #Nantes. pic.twitter.com/S3MGvvIFrs— Contre Attaque (@ContreAttaque_) June 11, 2021
The leader of the party “France Unbowed” was “flour-ed” by the attack days after another protester “slapped” President Emmanuel Macron when he was visiting a village in south-eastern France. The suspect was also a sympathizer of the far-right. President Macron had eggs thrown on him more than once, before he became the President of France in 2017 but this was the first time, he faced physical violence.
The man who threw the flour on the politician was recorded telling journalists that he was a “Sovereignist” and that he had carried out “an act of protest.” He was recognized and tagged by internet users who said that he hosted a right-wing YouTube channel called “Why Does it Suck.”
On Saturday, hundreds of marches were held across the country. People marched in solidarity against right-wing extremist hatred, which seems to be influencing French law, according to the protesters.
Twitter Jean-Luc Mélenchon enfariné à la #MarcheDesLibertes à Paris l.leparisien.fr/ZPXx
