The video had the buzz in spite of himself or probably not for the reasons he would have wanted. On the ground, this October 6 in a room in Pantin, in Seine-Saint-Denis, Kévin Cohen was filmed screaming: “don’t hit me”during a conference on Palestine organized by the collective “Urgence Palestine” and the media Words of Honor, while concretely in the images, he was not touched by anyone. An activist for the Union of Jewish Students of France, the young man then filmed himself sliding between the legs of a group of men who grabbed him by the collar and legs to evacuate him from the room. The man continues to yell “I’m being hit” while a voice replies “We’re not hitting you!” “.
On social networks, the video was then quickly diverted, to make fun. It even became a meme, to illustrate the false pain because the same day the UEJF had posted another video on the X network of the same meeting to denounce violence against its activists.
Apologies and regrets
In the end, on October 31, the mayor of Romainville François Dechy announced the resignation of this man, who also happened to be a municipal councilor in the town. “ For several weeks, a video circulating on social networks, involving Kévin Cohen (…) has sparked a legitimate reaction of incomprehension and indignation within our city » he wrote in a press release published on the town hall website. “ As mayor, I made the thoughtful choice not to react immediately in the urgency of social networks, often sources of escalation and heightened emotions. I preferred to take the time to analyze the facts, listen to different points of view and consult before making any decisions and speaking out publicly. » The mayor also confides that he met the Jewish activist twice “in the last ten days” and that they ended up agreeing that the action carried out by the activist “ was not compatible with his duties and responsibilities as a municipal elected official. »
The mayor adds that the young man presented “apologies” and expressed “regrets”. According to him, the activist is also tired “by the violence he has suffered” since the video. “ If it hadn't been for my video, there probably wouldn't have been anything. », Also believes in the newspaper Le Parisien, the activist who immortalized the scene. “In fact, it pays for itself for the UEJF which can continue its actions as if nothing had happened. » « If the UEJF activists had asked us to speak, we would have given them “, also assures Samir Bousnina, columnist at Words of Honor, who notes the double standard: “ what's more, if we did that, we would end up pinned to the ground, in police custody, with a report on CNews accusing Islamists of having disrupted a conference… »
France
