Misogyny, harassment, incitement to rape… who are the “incels”, claimed by the man who planned an attack in Bordeaux ?

The “incel” movement thrives on online forums and dedicated sites, where women are banned. FREE MIDI ILLUSTRATION – SYLVIE CAMBON

The man arrested in Bordeaux, where he was preparing a "violent action" during the passage of the Olympic flame, claims to be from the "Incel" movement. We explain to you what this ideology is, at the origin of several mass killings in Anglo-Saxon countries.

He planned "violent action during the passing of the Olympic torch relay in Bordeaux" : a 26-year-old man was indicted and placed under judicial supervision this Thursday, May 23 after posting on social networks a "worrying message& ;quot;.

Unknown to the police until then, the man named Alex G. would be "very psychologically fragile" and would present, according to the prosecutor, an interest in the Incel movement (English contraction of "Involuntary celibate", translated as "involuntary single").

The hatred of women

Born in North America in the late 1990s, this term initially referred to people who are simply single even though they don't want to be. But at the end of various turns, it took on a masculinist radical connotation, explain our colleagues from 20 Minutes.

Frustrated by their lack of relationships with women, incels harbor a form of hatred for them which can lead some to carry out violent actions. In addition to their misogynistic remarks, Incels are characterized by their defense of moral and sexual harassment, as well as their incitement to rape.

Several mass killings

This deeply misogynistic ideology is built in opposition to the #MeToo movement, which campaigns for the emancipation of women around the world, and thrives mainly on dedicated online forums, like on Reddit, Discord, 4chan, or the site Incels.me, prohibited for women.

But Incels are not only rampant on social networks: several mass killings in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have been committed by members of the movement. The latest dates back to 2021: Jake Davidson, a self-proclaimed incel, murdered five people, including his own mother, in Plymouth in the United Kingdom, before committing suicide.