• On June 12, 2022, nine individuals largely disrupted the holding of the Pride March in Bordeaux by unfurling a banner "Protect children, stop LGBT folly", performing Nazi salutes and throwing projectiles at people who were marching.
  • Seven of the nine defendants were present to appear on Friday for acts of violence, public insults, incitement to hatred and violence and degradation.
  • At the bar, the young men involved tried to minimize the facts, evoking violence in "the opposite camp".

On June 12, 2022, in the middle of the Pride March, a group of nine individuals climbed onto the roof of the eco-citizen house in Bordeaux to unfurl a banner. "Let's protect children, stop LGBT madness," says one of them. Shortly after, scuffles broke out between the members of this small group and people who paraded, projectiles of all kinds were fired. Faces masked so as not to be recognized by "people capable of violence", according to one of the disruptors, the small group then launches into anti-LGBT chants while performing "Nazi salutes", at least gestures taken as such.

This Friday, seven of the nine defendants were present to answer for their actions and the degradation of a pedestrian crossing with LGBT colors course of the Red Hat before the criminal court of Bordeaux.

After trying to invalidate the procedure for the arrest of the nine young men that day, the lawyer of five of the defendants spoke: "The people I represent contest the facts in a logic of provocation and incitement to hatred. A banner was simply unfurled in a logic of freedom of expression." And the representatives of the civil parties replied: "When you write this on a banner and make Nazi salutes at the same time, you necessarily know what part of the history you are invoking."

Banner, chants and LGBT lobby

Then, the seven defendants present are invited to come forward to the president and to speak, one by one. The first, Quentin Laferte denies having held the banner that day, but admits to be "in agreement with what he marked on it". He added: "I don't hate homosexuals. Besides, I know a lot of them who do not recognize themselves in the LGBT lobby." All will hold more or less the same discourse, defending themselves from being homophobic, but railing against this famous "lobby", none of which has managed to give a clear definition.

"It's a lobby that forces people to believe in these new ideas, which do not belong to the culture of Europe," says Yanis Iva. Let everyone do what they want, but not impose it on children. Today, the LGBT lobby is omnipresent. Me, I am a Catholic Christian, it does not mean that I walk around with a cross, "tries to explain the oldest of the group who seems to forget, for a moment, the tattoo he sports on the back of the skull. "In the Pride March, things happen that children are not supposed to see," adds Enzo Lebrun to justify the remarks that appear on the banner. "Protecting children is just a basic principle," adds Enguerrand Ottaviani, the instigator of this punch action and former activist of Génération Zemmour. They must be protected from this LGBT propaganda that is sweeping through France. We see it in nurseries with drag queens. For me he is a father, a mother and a child."

"I don't know what a Nazi salute is"

As for what the civil parties consider to be "Nazi salutes", all deny having made such a gesture. The President therefore requested the release of a video showing one of the defendants raising his arm to the sky several times. "It was a splash, as you can see in the stadiums," says Enzo Lebrun. How do you expect me to use both hands if I hold the banner? For his part, Yanis Iva explains "not knowing what a Nazi salute is. Before adding: "We must stop fantasizing about the Nazis. It's over, it's been 100 years. Besides, I'm Italian, I have nothing to do with these people."

Still at the bar, he admits to having "been afraid" and admits to having thrown stones at people who were marching to "defend his comrades". "The most violent people I saw that day were in front of me and not with me. For me, there should be people who participated in this march with us, as defendants." Also surprised by the holding of this hearing for having only "expressed his opinions", Quentin Laferte wonders "if we are still in a free world" before bidding "I wonder why the Americans landed".





Finally, suspended prison sentences ranging from six to ten months were requested by the prosecutor's office, accompanied by fines of 1,000 euros for each of the defendants. Requisitions that "relieve" Emmanuel Page, national administrator of SOS homophobia and Tristan Poupard, president of the association Le Girofard. Even if the latter regrets the absence of an "educational" sentence against the defendants.

The Bordeaux court will deliberate on May 26.

  • Justice
  • Bordeaux
  • Homophobia
  • LGBT Movement
  • Ultra-right
  • Gironde
  • New Aquitaine
  • Aquitaine