Racist assault after OL match: SOS Racisme demands purge of stands
A municipal councillor from Rhône was assaulted by OL supporters after the match against Le Havre. SOS Racisme is calling for firm sanctions and zero tolerance.
SOS Racisme calls on OL to act after racist assault on councillor following match
According to France Info, the president of the SOS Racisme committee in Lyon, Kyllian Abdelli, demanded on Thursday 3 September on France Inter that Olympique Lyonnais "clean house in the stands", following the racist assault on Meriem Bouchedda and her partner, which occurred on Saturday 29 August at the exit from the OL-Le Havre match.
Meriem Bouchedda, a left-wing municipal councillor in Rillieux-la-Pape in Rhône, was beaten by men wearing scarves in OL colours. They hurled racist insults, notably the expression "dirty Arab", according to the victim's statements. Her partner suffered 15 days of total work incapacity. She herself has suffered a fractured wrist.
"They must understand"
Kyllian Abdelli called on the Lyon club's management not to "be naive" in the face of part of their audience. He argued that it was "no longer possible for there to be supporters in the stands making Nazi salutes, making monkey noises, insulting certain people by calling them Arabs and committing violence around the stadium". The management, he insisted, "must understand" the seriousness of the situation.
To prevent further incidents, the president of the Lyon SOS Racisme committee recommended an awareness campaign through posters in the stands to clearly warn that "no racist act will be tolerated". Should offences occur despite these warnings, he is calling for "stadium bans" against those responsible.
OL joins the proceedings as civil party
On Monday 31 August in the evening, Olympique Lyonnais publicly condemned the assault. In its statement, the club affirmed that it "will show zero tolerance towards violence, racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination". OL also announced that it "will join the proceedings as a civil party alongside the victims".
Source: France Info