The mayor of a village in Meurthe-et-Moselle was molested by several people after intervening to put an end to the nocturnal uproar, an attack that moved him and earned him marks of support. Edouard Babel, mayor of Magnières, a small town of around 300 inhabitants near Lunéville, was violently attacked on the night of Saturday to Sunday June 4 when he went to the village hall to ask for calm. to people gathered to celebrate a birthday. He explained that he first received a slap.
"When I came out, about ten guests followed me. They put me on the ground and beat me. Fortunately, residents and friends intervened. I was scared of my life,” Edouard Babel told L’Est Républicain newspaper. The mayor has filed a complaint and does not intend to resign.
"This violence demands a criminal response"
An 18-year-old man and a 16-year-old minor were arrested and placed in police custody, "the first on the count of violence in a meeting, contempt and threats against a person holding public authority. The second for death threats and insults to the police made during his arrest, "said the public prosecutor of Nancy, François Capin-Dulhoste, to the newspaper.
The elected official received marks of support following this attack, which comes a few weeks after the resignation of the mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (Loire-Atlantique), who had decided to leave office after suffering threats and violence. On Saturday, a mayor of Tarn-et-Garonne announced that he was placed under police protection after threats following the broadcast of a video by an influencer denouncing his management of a neighborhood conflict.
“To attack a mayor is to attack the foundations of what unites us, the Republic. This is unfortunately what happened last night in Magnières, "said the prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle Arnaud Cochet in a press release. “This violence demands a criminal response” and a “strong reaction,” he wrote. “Faced with this aggression, the State and the prefectural body reaffirmed their unfailing support for Edouard Babel. We are at his side and in connection with the gendarmerie to ensure the safety of his commune. »
