Crépol: one year after the death of Thomas, two opposing demonstrations in the streets of Romans-sur-Isère

Two manifestations, two opposing universes. A year after the death of young Thomas in the village of Crépol, in Drôme, two demonstrations were held remotely this Saturday, November 30: one organized by a small ultra-right group, the other by unions and organizations of LEFT.

The first gathering to set off was at the beginning of the afternoon. “Faced with racists, Romans resists”, displayed the banner at the head of the procession, led by left-wing organizations. Several hundred people took part in the procession, including activists from the Young Guard, supporters of La France insoumise and the National Confederation of Labor.

Be against the racist recovery that is being made of our territory and our population

Julie Maurel (Collective for Novels)

“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, have want to say stop to that”, Julie Maurel, member of the Collectif pour Novels, explained to AFP.

In the procession was present the mother of Zakaria, a 15-year-old teenager from La Monnaie, killed in April while interposing in an altercation. “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’s really to be against the racist recovery that is being made of our territory and our population.” insisted Julie Maurel.

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The procession left from the heart of the Monnaie district, which was notably targeted during a demonstration resembling a punitive expedition a few days after Thomas’ death, because some suspects in the case came from there. In this case, 14 people were indicted. The perpetrator of the fatal blow has not been identified. The current instruction must make it possible to determine the responsibilities of each person.

The other demonstration of the day took place from mid-afternoon in a square in the city center. Organized by a small ultra-right group called “Justice for our own”, she intends to pay tribute to Thomas and Nicolas Dumas, a young man – coincidentally a player in the same rugby club as the teenager – killed in early November in front of a discotheque in the department, which they describe as “victims of immigration”.

The two demonstrations were initially banned by the prefecture which feared “significant unrest and ideological clashes”. A decision by the Grenoble administrative court finally lifted these bans.