The group stood out last Saturday during the demonstration “All at the borders”. After being violently attacked by several demonstrators, they were protected by a security service. But who are they? What do they represent? What are their demands? The answer with Pauline Ricci, member of the Némésis collective in Nice.
Pauline Ricci is a 19-year-old law school student. She is the head of the Nice section of the Némésis collective which she opened about a month ago. He is not affiliated with any political party. The demonstration on June 5 was their first action.
How could you define yourself and the collective?
We are identity feminists. Feminist because we fight all violence against women. Identity because we have seen, with our own experience and statistics, that there is a strong representation of men with an immigrant background. The other feminists do not denounce it. It is bad faith to deny that according to them. For them, it is heteronormous white men, cisgender and Catholic who attack us.
How would you define “right-wing feminism”?
It means defending women who are close to Europe’s vision of women and their place in society.
So what is your fight?
First, to defend women who have no hair (laughter). We went to this demonstration because we are for the border checkpoint. We are anti-immigration, because we believe that it is a danger for European and Western women.
Have you met a lot of women who have this feeling?
Yes, but these are women who do not get involved and who do not militate. In my case, I have never been assaulted. But, I have already had comments from these people, yes.
Do you share all the findings of left-wing feminists?
Above all, they have other priorities than violence against women. For example, there is hair, transsexuality… We at Némésis, that’s not our credo.
Do they defend all women according to you?
We defend women in the homes. What left feminists don’t do. If a woman wants to have a family and take care of it, they’ll call her a submissive. It is believed that women are free to choose whether they want to devote themselves to their home or work and do both at the same time.
How do they consider them?
We can see that the media like Konbini will talk about obese people, transsexuals as victims. They victimize and do not heroine. We are not at all in this perspective. We could very well have played this role on Saturday, but that’s not the goal. We don’t want to have this behavior. Society values these types of people a lot.
What was the trigger for your commitment?
I have been an activist since I was 15. At the beginning, we always deny, we say no, but it’s nothing. We internalize the idea that racism is bad. For a woman to say the origins of her attacker is considered racism.
How did you come up with the desire to create a Niçoise Nemesis branch?
It was I who had the idea. I found that there was a lack of structures to militate in Nice. I saw that there were a lot of sections opening up in France. It started when our president Alice Cordier took part in the program “Touche pas à mon poste”. I sent messages and a few girls were interested. At the moment we are six girls.
Do you think the situation of women has really changed?
Yes it has evolved. There are women who have led a real feminist fight to obtain equal rights. Today, they are acquired but not always. Even in terms of freedom of movement, men are always freer than women.
Do you think Islam is compatible with women’s freedoms?
At Némésis, we are against the veil, for example. It is incompatible with European values for women’s freedoms. A veiled woman is not free. I think the feminists who defend Islam did not quite understand what they were defending. They say they are feminists that they protect these women. They will then support these people who advocate for this ultra patriarchal society. They put them in a position of submission.
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