Grenoble gives the green light to the burkini in swimming pools
The vote of the city council, tight, approved this Monday a modification of the rules of procedure of the Grenoble basins. The mayor, Eric Piolle, invokes a “feminist” fight.
A Tunisian wearing a burkini (photo illustration).
KEYSTONE/EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA
The municipal council of Grenoble validated on Monday a modification of the internal regulations of the swimming pools of Grenoble resulting in the authorization of the port of the burkini, a subject which aroused a national political controversy.
The deliberation was adopted with a narrow majority of 29 votes for, 27 against and two abstentions, after 2 hours 30 minutes of sometimes tense debates.
The environmentalist mayor Eric Piolle brushed aside the objections of the opposition, invoking a “feminist”, “health” and “secularism” fight because nothing prohibits the wearing of religious clothing in public space, “including included in the swimming pool”.
Unlimited swimwear length
The now revised rules of procedure for swimming pools provide that the length of swimsuits will no longer be limited, explained Sports Assistant Céline Mennetrier. It will allow women to bathe topless and all bathers to wear a swimsuit to protect them from the sun.
The wearing of the burkini was claimed by the controversial Alliance Citoyenne association, which since 2019 has organized several punch operations in Grenoble swimming pools to get its message across. Its members, gathered in a room in Grenoble, attended the city council meeting by video broadcast.
Laurent Wauquiez gets carried away
The president (LR) of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, quickly reacted to the vote of the municipal council, accusing Eric Piolle of “definitively recording his break with secularism and the values of our Republic”.
The prefect of Isère said Sunday evening that he would seize the administrative court of Grenoble, on the instructions of the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin to block the measure if it were adopted.
Posted today at 9:33 p.m.
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