Matisse, 15, was stabbed to death by a teenager of the same age on April 27. The march passed through symbolic places in the boy’s life, including his elementary school and his father’s restaurant.
Around 8,000 people, according to the prefect of Indre Thibault Lanxade, participated on Saturday in Châteauroux in a moving white march in tribute to young Matisse, 15, killed with a knife by a teenager of the same age on April 27. The white march covered symbolic places in Matisse’s life, including his elementary school, his father’s restaurant and the one in which the teenager did his apprenticeship.
At the head of the procession, the banner “Matisse, a real nice guy”in pink (his favorite color) was displayed with a photo of him and a football. “We knew the parents since we came to their restaurant. I have a child who is 15 years old. It could have been one of us, it could have been anyone.”, said Élodie, 42, who lives in Villers-les-Ormes, a neighboring town. She came “to show parents that they are not alone”accompanied by her son who wore a hand-written t-shirt “Fly away little otter”a reference to Matisse’s affectionate nickname given by his father Christophe Marchais.
“We thought that in Châteauroux we were safe, and we realize that we are not safe anywhere”, added the mother. Catherine, her 64-year-old mother, came from Argenton-sur-Creuse. “I feel a lot of sadness, sadness of living in this time”lamented the sixty-year-old. “No one deserves to go through this. This is a quiet town. We know lots of residents of the Saint-Denis district. It’s always quiet there.”declared Flavien and Léo, aged 19.
“French wake up”
The march ended shortly after 4:30 p.m. with a release of balloons, while those close to Matisse embraced each other during a time of contemplation. Hundreds of white or pink roses were left in front of Matisse’s father’s restaurant. “This tribute took place calmly and with dignity”indicated the Indre prefecture, in a press release sent to AFP.
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The businesses were almost all closed and many had a photo of the teenager or an otter in their window. The need to do “something” has become essential for Châteauroux catering professionals, explains Delphine Chambonneau, owner of a café in the city center. “We all have a connection with this family”she explains, while a t-shirt with the words “restaurateurs and cafe owners united in pain / Rest in peace Matisse” was made. Despite the call from Matisse’s father in particular to guard against any political exploitation, Friday evening, a small ultra-right group displayed banners in front of the town hall: “Justice for Matisse”, “French wake up”.
Violence between young people
The teenager died from his injuries on April 27, after several stabbings during a “brawl” occurred in the Saint-Denis district, according to the public prosecutor of Bourges. His alleged attacker was indicted Monday evening for “murder” and placed in pre-trial detention, and his mother, aged 37 and suspected of having “slapped the victim” injured, was indicted for “intentional violence” on “vulnerable person”.
Matisse’s murder comes after a new wave of violence between young people, such as the fatal beating in Viry-Châtillon (Essonne) of Shemseddine, 15, and in the middle of the campaign for the European elections. In this context, the Afghan nationality of the two indicted – in a regular situation in France – has led several figures from the right and the extreme right to denounce the “migratory policy” of the government.
On social networks, personal data of the suspect and his parents are shared, AFP noted. Considering “pressures” and the presence of “very young children” within this family, the prefect of Indre assured that “means were implemented to secure them from Thursday evening”.
Furthermore, several hundred kilometers from the tragedy, the prefect of Tarn issued an order banning demonstrations on Sunday in Albi, a small far-right group having announced a gathering in tribute to Matisse, and the local branch of the FSU union having called for a counter-demonstration. For several days, Christophe Marchais has continued to warn: “Let’s not mix things up. Pay attention to all the right-wing parties or elsewhere who appropriate this type of thing”he declared on RTL.
