Three staff members of France’s populist National Rally (RN) claim they were attacked in the southern city of Marseille by a group of individuals who asked them if they were Christians before the assault.
Lukas Goslini, who works as an attache in the French Parliament for the National Rally, stated on Wednesday, August 9th, that he and several others had been assaulted last weekend.
“A group of six people threatened us when they saw my Christian medallions. They asked for my religion and after confirming that I was a Christian, they beat me and stole my chain,” Goslini said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
“These events are unacceptable in the second largest city in France, where one should be able to feel safe, especially around tourist sites. I would like to express my gratitude to the police for their professionalism and responsiveness when we filed a complaint,” he added.
Goslini mentioned that his colleague Julien Chevet, another RN staffer, was also attacked by the mob.
According to a report from the newspaper Valeurs Actuelles, the alleged attack took place in the 1st arrondissement of Marseille on Sunday, August 6th and one of the six attackers sexually assaulted them.
Goslini told the newspaper that the men who attacked him and stole his baptismal medallions were North Africans.
Gisèle Lelouis, the National Rally MP for Bouches-Du-Rhône, the area where the attack occurred, criticised the government of President Emmanuel Macron, singling out Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
“All my support to my collaborator Lukas Kubicki-Goslini for the attack he suffered.
Despite Gérald Darmanin’s seemingly pro-police speeches, there is indeed a security problem in Marseille, as in all of France,” she said.
Hélène Laporte, a member of the RN and vice president of the French National Assembly also expressed support for Goslini and Chevet, highlighting the claim they were attacked after identifying themselves as Christians and stating that violence and Christianophobia should be “severely punished.”
The attack on the RN staffers highlights two major problematic trends in France, growing insecurity on the streets of French cities and towns and high levels of anti-Christian attacks.
For several years, France has seen numerous attacks on Christian sites, including cemeteries and churches, with some involving thefts or desecration, and others being arson attacks.
In one case, Emmanuel Abayisenga, a Rwandan migrant, set a major fire in the historic cathedral in the city of Nantes in 2020, causing around €40 million worth of damage, and destroying the great organ of the cathedral during the blaze.
Abayisenga was arrested again for murdering Roman Catholic priest Father Olivier Maire, accused of beating him to death in 2021. However, he was only indicted for the killing in October of 2022, after being placed in psychiatric care following his 2021 arrest.
In 2021, French authorities reported more than 850 anti-Christian attacks, far exceeding the total of attacks on Jews or Muslims that year.
Random acts of crime, including violent threats, sexual offences, and other forms of violence are also major problems in France. A survey released last year claimed that as many as two-thirds of the French public are concerned for their safety in their everyday lives.
Insecurity and urban unrest in France made international headlines in early July, when the country experienced riots, following the fatal shooting of a teen in the Paris suburb of Nanterre.
The rioting and violence are estimated to have cost at least €650 Million, with as many as 5,600 vehicles set on fire, 1,300 damaged buildings, and 700 injured police officers.
