The owner of a business at the Les Deux Alpes resort in the French Alps was questioned over the weekend by the gendarmerie, a military force that carries out regular policing duties in France and, at times, more “combat-oriented” activity. During questioning, the woman admitted that she had complained to Jewish vacationers that “there are too many of you” at the resort. She was released at the end of the questioning, French media reported.
Antisemitic French woman in viral video
(Video: From social networks)
French media outlets reported that the business stall owner, whose name has not been published, gave investigators her explanation regarding the context in which the remarks were made, according to the Grenoble prosecutor’s office. At this stage, no legal decision has been made regarding the continuation of the investigation or whether she will be prosecuted, as investigators still need to collect additional testimony.
In the video, the woman, who owns a food stand near the resort’s summer toboggan run, is seen saying at the start of the conversation: “There are too many of you.” The customer asks her: “Who is ‘too many of us,’ ma’am?” She responds explicitly: “The Jewish community. There are too many of you.”
“And then what?” asks the man filming the conversation on his cellphone. “And then what? At some point, it’s too much for people,” the woman replies. In another part of the conversation, published on social media, the man who filmed the video makes clear that statements of this kind cannot become routine, and reminds her that France has laws punishing discrimination and antisemitic remarks.
'There's too many of you': French Alps stall owner in viral video
(Photo: From social media)
The video, which was posted on social media over the weekend and received hundreds of thousands of views, sparked an uproar in France. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez announced Saturday that an investigation had been opened. “As soon as the video was brought to my attention, the National Gendarmerie opened an investigation in cooperation with the prosecution,” the minister wrote on X. He added that “the woman in the video will be required to answer for the things she said,” remarks that “have no place in our republic.”
Aurore Bergé, the minister responsible for combating discrimination, wrote: “No antisemitic act, no racist act and no hateful act can be tolerated.” She added that she had asked the prefect of the Isère department to “immediately” send a report to the public prosecutor, in accordance with Article 40 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure.