Municipal Councilor Brutally Attacked Outside Home in Seine-Saint-Denis

Attacks against elected officials are multiplying in France. The latest is the one suffered on Friday by Faouzy Guellil. This municipal councilor of Dugny (Seine-Saint-Denis) tells LCI that he was beaten with knees and kicks by several people in front of his home, in front of his wife and children.

The elected official recounts having received "a first punch to the face", before two individuals fell on him with full force. "They grabbed me by my backpack, dragged me on the ground" and followed with "knee blows and kicks to the face". Faced with the cries of his children, they fled, not without setting his vehicle on fire.

Despite these unusually violent attacks, Faouzy Guellil does not intend to give up his mission. He assures that he will "continue to do" his work: "Me, Monday morning, I will be at work". "I think that each of us in our society must reflect on how we must work collectively beyond political differences," said the elected official, his face still swollen.

Last March, the French Parliament had adopted a law aimed at strengthening the protection of local elected officials against violence. One of the measures provided for by the text concerns the alignment of sanctions with those provided for violence against holders of public authority, such as the police.