Jean-Marie Le Pen buried privately in his hometown in France

Jean-Marie Le Pen, a historic figure of the French far right, was buried Saturday afternoon in the cemetery of his hometown, La Trinité-sur-Mer, in western France, following a mass celebrated in the strictest family privacy.

Around 200 people – including his daughter Marine Le Pen, who had taken over the reins of the party co-founded by her father, the National Front (FN), which has since become the National Rally (RN) – attended the funeral tribute in the church Saint Joseph. The president of RN, Jordan Bardella was also present, but he stayed away from the cameras, according to several sources.

At the end of a ceremony which lasted approximately two hours, a grieving Marine Le Pen, members of her family and relatives of the former far-right leader who died Tuesday at the age of 96 followed the hearse to the cemetery, a few hundred meters away.

The town of around 1,700 people had been placed under close surveillance by the police to avoid any excesses or demonstrations, but the day passed without the slightest incident.

Tuesday evening, several hundred opponents gathered in several cities in France, including Paris, Lyon and Rennes, to celebrate, with songs, smoke bombs and fireworks, the death of JMLP. This dirty racist is deadsaid a sign held up in Paris.

These demonstrations were strongly condemned by the RNwho vilified the bitch, always the same, in the street, the leftist scumand the French government. Dead, even the enemy has the right to respectsaid the spokesperson for the party office.

On Friday, the prefect issued an order prohibiting demonstrations in the town.

Several hundred people took part in the procession which ended with applause upon arrival at the cemetery, according to journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on site.

Jean-Marie, we love you! said a sympathizer.

In accordance with his wish, the coffin of the one who liked to be called the Menhir was then placed in the vault where his parents rest, not far from the Le Pen family home.

Marine Le Pen shook a few hands as she left to the sound of binious and bagpipes from a traditional ensemble from Brittany.

I came as a curious person to pay tribute to a man who served France and who loved Franceexplained to theAFP Johann, 40 years old, who lives nearby, in Auray.

We came to pay tribute to a great man who had the courage to say thingsagrees Ludovic, 43 years old. He was a visionary. He loved France and its people and they had values ​​that are being lost, like love of the nation.

A provocative and sulphurous tribune, obsessed with immigration and Jews, Mr. Le Pen shocked the political class and a large part of French public opinion on April 21, 2002 by entering the second round of the presidential election behind the outgoing Jacques Chirac , who was ultimately re-elected with more than 82% of the votes thanks to a republican front.

Engaged in Indochina, Mr. Le Pen had also fought in Algeria. He admitted in 2019 to a journalist that he had practiced torture in Algeria, without using this word, according to statements published by the newspaper The Monde in its Sunday and Monday edition.

Mr. Le Pen died on Tuesday in the Paris region in an establishment where he had been admitted several weeks ago.

Another ceremony, religious and homagewill take place on January 16 at the Notre-Dame-du Val-de-Grâce church in Paris. It will be open to the public this time.