While visiting Corsica as part of the campaign for the European elections, Reconquête party leader Éric Zemmour was attacked during a visit to a market on the island. Greeted with insults and egg-throwing, he defended himself against a woman who targeted him, fuelling accusations from the press of violence on his part.
The incident took place on the market in Ajaccio, the regional capital of Corsica. The president of Reconquête, who had come to campaign with his activists, was greeted with cries of “fascist” and “racist piece of [expletive],” and was targeted by opponents who threw eggs in his face. Reacting instinctively to a woman’s attack coming from behind, he made a defensive gesture towards her.
Even though it was clearly a reflex gesture in response to an attack, as evidenced by the many photos and videos of the incident circulating on the web, the local and national press seized on the incident to publicise the “violence” of the “far-right” politician. The France TV Info website, reporting on the event, ran the headline: “Zemmour hits a woman,” while BFM chose to comment: “Zemmour raises his hand on a woman.” The aim was to undermine the figure of the right-wing politician—criticising his lack of exemplarity and highlighting the use of violence that is supposedly consubstantial with his political camp.
According to Zemmour’s teams, there was no deliberate violence on his part, and he acted in self-defence. “She came up behind him, he didn’t know who it was, if it was an egg, a fist, a knife, he got out of the way, it was a pure self-defence reflex. At no time did he want to hit this woman. The person attacked was Éric Zemmour,” his entourage told Le Figaro.
For now, no complaint has been lodged by the woman in question against Zemmour. Zemmour himself has, however, lodged a complaint against the unknown assailant for intentional violence.
The public prosecutor in Ajaccio has opened an investigation against the attacker “on the grounds of violence in a group and, or with a weapon by destination.”
“During the incident, a demonstrator allegedly threw an egg in his direction, hitting him on the head, before being pushed aside by security as she tried to come into contact with him,” he explained.
The Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin spoke to Zemmour by phone and announced that a report would be requested from the SDLP, the protection service usually responsible for ensuring the security of media personalities and politicians on business trips. Darmanin said that “democratic debate must be able to take place in calm conditions, despite political disagreements.”
Asked about the circumstances surrounding the incident and Zemmour’s responsibility, his companion Sarah Knafo, who is third on the Reconquête list for the European elections, drew a parallel between the attack on Zemmour and what the French are experiencing today. “If you ask me whether a politician should set an example, I say yes, but what he did was set an example. When the French are attacked, they must defend themselves in self-defence,” she argued on Europe 1 radio.
