Protesters hurled bottles and dustbins at the mayor of Toulouse during a music festival in the city this week in the latest act of defiance, after activists forced more than 1,000 mayors and councillors from across France to abandon their posts.
Jean-Luc Moudenc described his assailants as “ultra-leftists” and members of a climate activist group that was banned this week after the government accused it of instigating violence and vandalism at demonstrations.
Mr. Moudenc tweeted about the incident at the time, alleging he had been attacked by supporters of the Soulèvements de la Terre (the Earth Uprisings) group. He wrote: “We crossed [the group] or part of the [group] of the Earth Uprisings. Some came to [argue loudly] near us. They surrounded us when we were only five.
“They were very numerous, about a hundred. I have rarely seen so much violence, targeted violence against me. [They said]: “We’re going to throw you in the Garonne river.'”
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Soulèvements de la Terre (the Earth Uprisings), is an umbrella organization of climate activist groups and it currently has 110,000 registered members.
The group has been accused of organising protests across France, including against the concrete industry, construction of a new rail line with Italy and a new road project in the southwest over the past few weeks.
Their continuous violent clashes forced the French government to dissolve the climate activist group earlier this week.
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More widely, there has been a rise in threats of assaults and social media hate campaigns on mayors and local councillors amid frustration over the cost of living crisis and anger at government moves to settle migrants in small towns and rural communities.
The rising hostility and attacks have forced several local officials to resign. More than 1,000 mayors and councillors have resigned in the past three years.
André Rousset, who runs the small southern town of Lauris was the latest mayor to announce his resignation after one of his deputies was punched by a local resident angry that his home had been flooded, reported The Times.
All but four of the 27 town councillors said that they would resign in solidarity. The local prefect later persuaded Rousset to stay on.
Last month, Yannick Morez, mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in western France, resigned after he was hounded by far-right groups over plans to open a centre for asylum seekers in the town.
His house was reportedly set on fire in an arson attack that also destroyed two cars.
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On the other side of the country, Lou Bailly-Biichlé stepped down as mayor of Vandelans in eastern France after she and her deputy were threatened with a bread knife by a man whose electricity had been cut off.
More than 13,000 mayors have been threatened and 2,000 physically assaulted since 2020, according to the Association of French Mayors.
The latest figures from the French interior ministry show a 32 per cent rise in assaults or threats against mayors or councillors last year.
Denis Mottier, of the association, said: “Mayors are the most visible representatives of the state.
“Local people know them so they go to them with small problems like litter or arguments with neighbours, but sometimes they lose the sense of proportion and the problems get magnified.
“That’s when the trouble starts.”
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