Bookstore Owners in Tarn Face Violent Racist Attack, Community Rallies in Support

"For the sake of transparency and to avoid distortions," the two managers recounted the events via Facebook. The facts date back to Saturday, March 5. Majid Berdjouh and Kévin Zeguile had just participated in a vernissage on site, followed by an evening in a wine bar run by friends. "We stayed until closing time and then returned to the bookstore to continue the evening in a small committee. Around 3 a.m., as we were smoking a cigarette in front of the bookstore, about ten young people, in their twenties, arrived from an adjacent street with a small motorcycle," recount the two booksellers.

"The evening continued in a good-natured atmosphere. After a while, most of them left, three remained, they asked us if they could come in to see the exhibition. [...] After an hour, they announced their departure and Majid accompanied them to the exit." It is at this precise moment that one of them hits him in the face. "Shocked, he falls to the ground and he continues to kick him and he throws at him: ’You thought we were your friends, dirty Arab’, anyway, we’ll take care of you!’ The attackers flee. Majid had a bloody face. The friends who were still in the basement of the bookstore set off in pursuit of the attackers.

"Seeing us arrive, the author of the blows inflicted on Majid jumps on me, we roll on the ground, he strangles me and pushes his thumb into my eye. We extricate ourselves from the conflict and take refuge in the bookstore at the back of the store where Majid and a friend were waiting for us, totally shocked," Kévin recounts. The three suspects do not stop. They "burst back into the bookstore, corner us at the back of the store with the intention of lynching us," Kévin continues. This is followed by a shower of insults and threats: "You, you’re black, so you don’t talk!" or "We know where you live, we’re going to come and kill you!" Knowing that the gendarmes had been alerted, the attackers fled.

"We filed a complaint and are making the situation public so that it does not fall into indifference. [...] If we felt alone at the time of the events, we now feel supported and it has given us the strength to open [...]. Despite the shock and fear, we remain standing," said Majid Berdjouh and Kévin Zeguile. They expressed their gratitude to the organizers of the Saturday rally which brought together 300 people. The rally of support comes "to remind that we are together to share values that have more to do with love than hate".