Two demonstrations with contrary ambitions took place without the slightest clash almost a kilometer apart this Saturday, November 30 in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme), a year after the death of Thomas in Crépol.
A day anticipated as high risk which takes place calmly. Two gatherings, whose ideas were diametrically opposed, took place without any problem almost a kilometer apart this Saturday in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme), a year after the death of Thomas in Crépol.
A major security system had been deployed in the city ahead of these two demonstrations, with staggered times for the two events in order to avoid potential excesses as much as possible, AFP reported.
The two gatherings were initially banned by the prefecture which feared “significant unrest and ideological clashes”. The Grenoble administrative court finally lifted these bans.
“Romans-sur-Isère is not a far-right town”
In the first demonstration, which started at 2 p.m. this Saturday, a thousand people gathered at the initiative of unions and left-wing organizations. Activists from the Young Guard, LFI and CNT supporters took part in the procession, but also young people from the Monnaie district.
“Faced with racists, Romans resists,” we could read on the banner at the head of the procession. “It is important for us to say that Romans is not a far-right city, that despite the fact that the ultra-right has put us on a map and on their political agenda, we, on the ground , we want to say stop to that,” assured Julie Maurel, member of the “Collectif pour Novels”.
The mother of Zakaria (15 years old), originally from La Monnaie and killed in April while interposing in an altercation, was present in the procession of this gathering. During the march, protesters stopped where the teenager died and held a minute of silence “for Zakaria and all those who fell.”
“We demonstrate with Thomas, Zakaria, Nicolas and all the children who died of blind violence in our heads, in our hearts. But really the issue for us is not at all to exploit these deaths, it is really to be against the racist recovery that is being made of our territory and our population,” concluded Julie Maurel. .
“A demanding tribute”
The second demonstration, which began at 3 p.m., brought together nearly 200 people in a square in the city center at the call of the ultra-right collective called “Justice for Ours”.
He called, one year after the death of Thomas (16), killed during a ball in Crépol in November 2023, to pay tribute to the teenager as well as to Nicolas Dumas, a young man killed in front of an Ardèche nightclub there. two months ago, both described as “victims of immigration”.
On a sign were displayed pell-mell portraits of Thomas, but also of Samuel Paty or of Philippine, a 19-year-old student whose body had been discovered buried in Paris in the Bois de Boulogne. “Our brothers, our sisters, our children. Not news items,” chanted some demonstrators, most of whom were wrapped in tricolor flags.
“It’s a protest tribute,” summarized Raphaël Ayma, spokesperson for “Justice for ours”, who wishes to “draw political lessons”. “We are political activists who feel empathy towards Thomas, who feel touched. Today, you have young people who are no longer content with just going to vote every five years and who go out into the streets to express their ideas,” concluded the latter.
As a reminder, 14 people were indicted but the author of the fatal blow was not identified in the investigation into Thomas' murder. The investigation which is continuing must make it possible to determine the responsibilities of each person in this matter.
