CITIZEN APPEAL Faced with xenophobia and the pillory policy: freedom, equality, fraternity
The highest authorities of the State have chosen to throw entire categories of the population into public vengeance: Travelers accused like foreigners of being troublemakers, French of foreign origin who are threatened with being stripped of their nationality, parents delinquent children, etc. Here is that the President of the Republic also accredits the old lies of a costly immigration and assimilated to delinquency, and thus offers to the stigmatization of millions of people because of their origin or their social situation.
What is at work in this process is not part of the legitimate debate, in a democracy, on how to ensure republican safety. The necessary respect for public order does not have to be used to create distinctions between the inhabitants of this country and to designate scapegoats. Nor to institute automatic prison sentences, contrary to the fundamental principles of criminal law, the independence of the judiciary and the individualisation of sentences.
The Constitution of France, a secular, democratic and social Republic, ensures “equality before the law of all citizens without distinction of origin, race or religion”.
No one, no more the elected representatives of the nation than anyone else, has the right to trample on the Constitution and the most fundamental principles of the Republic.
Our conscience forbids us to be silent and to allow things to be done which endanger civil peace.
We call for a demonstration on Saturday September 4, 2010, Place de la République in Paris, at 2:00 pm, and everywhere in France, to celebrate the 140th anniversary of a Republic that we want more than ever, free, equal and fraternal.
First signatories:
Brittany regional advisor Cédric Gratton, co-president of the Federation of associations for solidarity with immigrant workers (FASTI) Dominique Guibert, secretary general of the Human Rights League (LDH) Christian Guyonvarc’h, Brittany regional advisor Benoît Hamon , spokesperson for the Socialist Party Serge Havet, president of AC! Pierre Henry, Director General of France Terre d¹Asile Bernadette Hetier, Co-President of the Movement against Racism and for Friendship between Peoples (MRAP) Pierre-Adrien Hingray, National Treasurer of the Human Rights League (LDH) François Hollande, Member of Parliament of the Socialist Party Kamel Jendoubi, honorary president of the Federation of Tunisians for a citizenship of the two shores (FTCR) Naig Le Gars, regional councilor of Brittany Patick le Hyaric,