Citizenship Week: the message from the Alès prosecutor to the students of the Gaston-Darboux high school in Nîmes

The Alès prosecutor was one of the guests of the Darboux professional high school this Friday Midi Libre – A.A.

The association Les Petits Débrouards hosted workshops with students Midi Libre – C.R.

Les élèves de première année CAP ont assisté à la pièce de théâtre de la compagnie Vent contraire Midi Libre – A.A.

Le procureur d’Alès, Abdelkrim Grini était, ce vendredi 29 mars, l’un des intervenants de la semaine de la citoyenneté, au lycée Gaston- Darboux à Nîmes. Ce fut l’un des moments forts de cette journée.

These final year students at the Gaston-Darboux technical high school in Nîmes probably didn't know it. But, the prosecutor of Alès, Abdelkrim Grini who spoke this Friday, in their lecture hall, during this citizenship week and Abdelouhab Alili, one of their teachers (in economics and management) shared in the years 1990-2000; the same fight, against racism and discrimination. The two men are from Montpellier.

Testing in nightclubs and justice

" With Abdelouhab Alili, we were young. We had just finished our studies at the Montpellier faculty. And we have mobilized a lot in the fight against racism, discrimination and for the law to be applied. Racism and discrimination are punishable by law", recalls prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini who spoke on the theme "defend oneself and act in the framework of the law against discrimination."

The future lawyer and then magistrate grew up in the Paillade district of Montpellier. From the age of 15, he campaigned against racism and violence, for access to school for all, and help with homework.

In Montpellier, in the years 1990-2000, Abdelouhab Alili was president of the SOS Racisme Montpellier Languedoc Roussillon association. The association had set up testing operations, at the entrance to nightclubs. These activists could have chosen the violent way to obtain respect for their rights. "Inconceivable, insists the prosecutor. This solves nothing and you are in violation".

In Montpellier, the prosecutor at the time was contacted. The managers of these nightclubs targeted by these complaints were summoned before the criminal court." It’was in 1997. The  ;nbsp;Montpellier court considered that there was no proof of this discrimination, relates Adelkrim Grini, who, as a young lawyer, then represented the ;local association of SOS racism. "For us, it was discrimination, recalls the Alès prosecutor. We lost and we appealed. It was a great moment of tussles and verbal jousts with the other lawyers. In 2002, the judgment of the court of appeal confirmed the first instance decision. We then brought the case before the Court of Cassation which overturned the judgment of the Court of Appeal. It was a great victory…" The Court of Cassation considered that the testing could be used as evidence in court. "When we fight, we must fight with legal means. Discrimination, we must not accept it, we must not resign ourselves to it , file a complaint."

" Can you tell me what it means to be  a citizen in France& ;nbsp;?", the magistrate asks the students. "A person who has rights and duties", replies a high school student. "You are free and equal citizens, reminds the prosecutor. But you also have a duty to respect the law. We don't each live separately. Otherwise, it’s the law of the strongest. We respect each other. We have the right to have a religion. But this is part of a principle of citizenship. We do not impose our religion and we do not make our religion subject to others. It is respect for the freedom of each person and respect for others. Religion is a private matter. When you are at school, you are in public order."

A play with the company Vent contrarie

Supported by the academic direction of National Education, Citizenship Week takes place from March 25 to 30 at the Gaston-Darboux professional high school (800 students) & Nîmes. This Friday, discussions around youth and citizen policing took place with Mr. Palumbo, officer of the national police headquarters. The day before, the company Ventcontrare playedé a play. The theme was that of violence and stigma. The Pink Vests collective came to discuss living together in public space. A debate took place on the application of the principle of secularism. in the company. And exchanges were planned with Thomas Prouteau, delegate of the project. of the prefect of Gard for the districts of Pissevin-Valdegour. The Mille Couleurs association or the Red Cross and the Jades also participated in the event. &agrav; these events.

I subscribe to read more