We met or exchanged with five people who witnessed the events, residents or workers in the neighborhood. Most requested anonymity, “for fear of reprisals”. All describe “a descent of provocative and violent far-right activists in the heart of Saint-Michel”, around 2 am.
“Who are you voting for?”
Arnaud (1) had just poached. “I was talking with a colleague on Place Meynard, when we saw a group of about ten men arrive, some with their faces masked. They were yelling, “Antifa, we fuck you…!” “Nationalist Bordeaux!” One came up to us and said, very aggressively and intimidatingly, “Who are you voting for? You have a head to vote Mélenchon. To appease, my colleague said that we were not voting. The guy forced us to shake his hand and they let go, continuing to shout their slogans. Nationalist Bordeaux is an extreme right-wing group, whose number of activists is nebulous.
Violence and provocation
Resident of Saint-Michel, teacher, Guillaume Formaro was coming out of an evening with friends when he came across this troupe. “They were screaming in the square. I heard one insult a passing woman: “Little whore, go back to sucking niggers.” My blood just boiled. They went up the rue des Faures towards the Cours Victor-Hugo, shouting “The street is ours”. I thought they were going to attack people, I followed them. At the corner with rue des Menuts, they stopped in front of young people and attacked them. I wanted to intervene, one of the fachos took out a big tear gas, gassed me and another hit me in the face, ”says the fifty-year-old who intends to file a complaint. Amin, another resident, confirms “the racist remarks”, “the provocation”, “the violence”.
“Monkey Screams”
At the same time, Julien (1) and Jérémy are sleeping in their roommate, rue des Menuts. “Cries woke me up. Looking out the window, I understood. The fachos were yelling “go home”, one was shouting like a monkey in front of young North Africans. It was surreal. It got worse and it went like a jet of bottles, garbage cans. I filmed the scene to turn it over to the police. I dialed “17” at 2:15 a.m. I met a lady to whom I told what was happening and that they had to come quickly. Everything happened really fast. The fachos fled. I stayed up until 2:45-3 a.m., in case the police arrived, but I didn’t see them,” says Julien, still in shock.
Poor investigation
From a police source, “several crews were sent to the scene, quickly after this call, but the protagonists had disappeared”. This Sunday, no complaint had been filed. On the instructions of the Bordeaux prosecutor’s office, an investigation was however opened for “violence with a weapon”. The investigations were entrusted to the departmental directorate of public security.
On social media, nationalist Bordeaux posted a message this weekend, talking about a fight with “Liverpool supporters”. It will be up to the courts to verify this very distant version of the testimonies collected by “Sud Ouest”.
(1) The first name has been changed.