the mayor of Clermont-Ferrand announces to file a complaint after the broadcast of a video on X targeting him

“That’s enough!” No political hostility justifies seeing one's head crushed or cut off.”protested Olivier Bianchi, socialist mayor of Clermont-Ferrand, on 'Elon Musk at the end of last week where we can see his head as well as that of two of his deputies and the deputy for Puy de Dôme, Nicolas Bonnet, being crushed or cut with a knife. “I hear the anger, sometimes legitimate: I explain as long as necessary the why of our action. But I refuse to give legitimacy to those who encourage this incredible and unacceptable violence”he explains in his post.

Olivier Bianchi points the finger at a member of the Saccage Clermont Facebook group of which more than 8,000 people are members. Qualified as “habitual detractor” by the mayor, this user also maintains an account X, on which the video in question was published. Saccage Clermont is a Facebook group on which residents can denounce the damage to the city, particularly the numerous construction sites started by the town hall and which hinder vehicle traffic. They very often target elected officials at town hall.

The group has distanced itself from this video which “has not been validated by the administration team and its content does not reflect (their) official position”. “We remind you that the administration team is not responsible for content published on personal accounts, even if these publications can be interpreted as associated with our group”writes Saccage Clermont in the Facebook group.

“I felt attacked”

Far from stopping there, the mayor of Clermont announced that he would report the publication to the public prosecutor and file a complaint. “I felt attacked. It is not possible not to feel concerned when you are physically involved. This knife that cuts off my colleague’s head, it chilled me”he testified in the show “It’s yours” on France 5. “On social networks, there are people who justify this! They say “Oh, it’s a joke, it’s AI, it’s not very serious” But it’s serious because these are symbols that can become reality one day”he concludes on the set.

Olivier Bianchi was notably able to count on the support of his party, which, through the X account of the Socialists of Puy de Dôme, published a press release denouncing the video. “There really are people who have very artificial intelligence”reacted the boss of the PS, Olivier Faure, on X.

On Monday, one of the moderators of the implicated Facebook group announced his resignation following this affair on the same social network “in view of the numerous reactions and pressure put on the group, and towards (his person, Editor’s note)”. He thus wishes “not to harm the work carried out around this community (of Saccage Clermont, Editor’s note)”.