The anti-LGBTI messages in rue des Archives, Paris | Photo: Christine Rougemont Facebook
The rainbow crosswalk celebrating Pride month in Paris has been vandalized again last night (28 June).
Vandals added the words ‘dictature LGBT’ (LGBT dictatorship) on the blacktop in rue des Archives, in the neighborhood of Marais.
The message in French reads ‘LGBT dictatorship’ | Photo: @theandrewgrey Twitter
The rainbow crosswalk
With Pride parade around the corner, the city is experiencing anti-LGBTI discrimination. Vandals, in fact, already defaced the same crosswalk on 25 June. Inaugurated on 14 June, the rainbow was painted over in white and the words ‘LGBT hors de France’ (LGBT [get] out of France) added nearby.
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and other local and national authorities expressed their outrage at the incident. Particularly, Hidalgo and openly gay First Deputy Mayor of Paris Bruno Julliard took immediate action to repaint the rainbow crosswalk.
People also gathered spontaneously to help restore the crosswalk to its former colorful glory. But that only lasted a few days.
A message to the mayor
The message added last night is also a direct attack to the mayor. Vandals wrote ‘Hidalgo dégage’, which translates to ‘Hidalgo get out’.
Ça a recommencé les LGBTIphobes sont de retour
Posted by Christine Rougemont on Thursday, June 28, 2018
One Facebook user posted two pictures of the crosswalk bearing the message to the mayor.
‘It has started again. The LGBTIphobes have returned,’ she wrote.
‘This act of homophobia won’t go unpunished’
Hidalgo also took to Twitter to support the LGBTI community.
Cette nuit encore, des passages piétons arc-en-ciel situés dans le Marais ont été vandalisés. Cette homophobie ne restera pas impunie. Le Procureur de la République sera saisi. Les agents municipaux procéderont ce matin au nettoyage. #LoveWins #ParisEstFière #MarchedesFiertes pic.twitter.com/0jy5M12u2r
— Anne Hidalgo (@Anne_Hidalgo) June 29, 2018
‘Last night the rainbow crosswalk in Marais has been vandalized again. This act of homophobia won’t go unpunished,’ she wrote.
‘The Prosecutor of the Republic will be seized. The municipal agents will clean up this morning.’
Twitter users also expressed their disbelief at the new vandalization.
2e fois que les passages piétons pr la #MarcheDesFiertés ont été dégradés. Ces tags homophobes sont à l’image de toutes les discriminations et des violences que subissent les LGBTQI partout en France et dans le monde : nous les combattrons sans relâche ✊🏽
(photo @theandrewgrey) pic.twitter.com/sjnai64m2H— David Belliard (@david_belliard) June 29, 2018
One user said: ‘[It’s the] second time the pedestrian crossings for Marche Des Fiertés have been degraded. These homophobic messages are the image of all the discrimination and violence experienced by the LGBTQI everywhere in France and in the world: we will fight them relentlessly.’
Homophobic vandals also targeted the city of Nantes earlier this month, painting the double rainbow staircases over. Furthermore, they wrote: ‘legalize pedophilia’.
Paris Pride Parade
In the aftermath of the first vandalization, Hidalgo also said that the anti-LGBTI attitude was the reason why ‘Pride is still helpful’.
Paris Pride Parade (in French: Marche des Fiertés) takes place this Saturday 30 June. The march will kick off at Place de la Concorde, before heading to Place de la République.
