After the fire at the synagogue in La Grande-Motte, a crowd determined to “say no” in front of Beth Yaacov

La présidente Sabine Atlan, entourée du préfet François-Xavier Lauch et du maire Stéphan Rossignol. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Près de 500 personnes ont répondu à l’appel de la municipalité pour un rassemblement de soutien, lundi 26 août en fin d’après-midi, à la suite de l’incendie criminel de samedi matin.

In front of the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, the crowd is dense from 6:30 p.m. on Monday, August 26. Nearly 500 people responded to the municipality's call for a first support rally (1), following the arson attack on Saturday morning.

Coming from Nîmes, Sète or Montpellier, Grand-Mottois or holidaymakers, of all ages and especially of all faiths, they fell silent at 7:05 p.m., while Sabine Atlan, president of the Jewish Religious Association of La Grande-Motte, spoke.

Sabine Atlan: “We will win together”

In front of many elected officials, including Michaël Delafosse, the mayor of Montpellier, surrounded by Stéphan Rossignol, mayor of the resort, and the prefect François-Xavier Lauch, Sabine Atlan reiterates “the state of shock and pain”, also calling, with great emotion, “for resilience and peace”.

After heartfelt thanks to the police, in particular to the injured municipal police officer – first thunder of applause –, the president acknowledges the support of Stéphan Rossignol. “We move forward together, we will win together.”

Stéphan Rossignol : “Stop hate speech”

The mayor emphasizes “the unthinkable, here, in front of this synagogue inaugurated thirteen years ago, wanted by Gaby and Sylvain Atlan, pioneers of the station!” New round of applause, which will never dry up.

After several thanks and tributes – “also to the municipal police officer I had this morning, deeply shocked” –, Stéphan Rossignol insists on the role of the cameras that made it possible to arrest the author in fifteen hours.

“Stop hate speech, he continues. Yes, what happened on Saturday is an anti-Semitic act. By your numbers, you show your determination to say no! "

The prefect: against "unacceptable relativism"

Prefect François-Xavier Lauch, recalling "the feeling of having escaped the worst", lists all the bodies and services of the police forces mobilized, from “the station gendarmes” to the “Raid brigades and the BRI” in Nîmes. “It is valuable to work with a mayor who invests in his municipal police and in 110 video surveillance cameras.”

“This act was an attack. This act was anti-Semitic, insists the representative of the State. Any other form of discourse and relativism is unacceptable. I have banned certain demonstrations. And I will not hesitate to ban them again."

At the end of a Marseillaise dignified and proud, Sabine Atlan invites the faithful to min’ha, the evening prayer, the first service since Saturday in the synagogue.

(1) A new demonstration is organized by the Crif Languedoc-Roussillon this Tuesday, at 6 p.m., place de la Comédie, in Montpellier.

Many elected officials, among a crowd of 500 people gathered after the anti-Semitic attack on Saturday. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

“Let anti-Semitism become a national cause”

In front of the synagogue, Yvette from Grand-Motte is angry: “The drift is very serious. I am not Jewish but we must not give up. It is also an educational problem. And social networks make it worse.”

Lilia came from Lunel “to support the Jews of La Grande-Motte. It is not my confession but we have a shared history for centuries. We can't let this go by.”

Didier made the trip from Nîmes: “I am Jewish and totally supportive. There are more and more acts of this type, and it is getting worse and worse. There is confusion between what is happening in Israel and in France.”

Paul, a Jew from Montpellier, came to support the community. These acts are becoming recurrent and on an ever-increasing scale. We do marches, rallies, but nothing changes…"

Charles, a Montpellier resident on vacation in Palavas, is "here to express my solidarity. We cannot trivialize these events. It's dramatic.” His wife Jeanine adds: “Anti-Semitism must become a national cause.”

Just to the side, Jean-Louis fulminates: “Jew or not, that's not the point! I'm an atheist. But it's a matter of principle. We must not confuse what is happening in Israel. We cannot let such acts pass."

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