Racist Threats Target Two French Mayors of North African Descent

The mayor of Givors, Mohamed Boudjellaba, says he received a letter with openly racist content on Saturday, August 22, 2020. On Twitter, he publishes some excerpts from it. The author of the letter calls him a "bougnoule" and says of the mayor of the 1st arrondissement of Lyon, Yasmine Bouagga, that she is a "fatma". "Go away bougnoule if you don’t want to burn like a merguez. We still know how to use a machine gun," he writes.

"The respect of citizens and elected officials, in their diversity, is an imperative that cannot be called into question. It is the foundation on which our Republic rests, it is the cornerstone of living together," reacted the mayor of Givors. Shocked, he intends to file a complaint and write to the prefect of the Rhône. The latter has also condemned "with the utmost firmness the abject remarks made" towards Mr. Boudjellaba.

"Racism as well as all forms of discrimination have no place in our Republic," the prefect insists.