The standoff between the mayor of Montauban and the prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne continues. Friday, the mayor, Brigitte Barèges, issued an order to allow non-food businesses in the city center to open despite the ban with the re-containment. In the process, the prefect denounced an illegal decree and filed a summary before the administrative court. Pierre Besnard also asked the forces to circulate in the streets this Saturday to inform traders that they risked sanctions by remaining open.
And this Sunday, Brigitte Barèges, interviewed this Sunday by franceinfo, promises that she pay the fines for traders who remain open. “If the State goes through with its stubbornness, of course we will take all our responsibilities and we will support them”, she assures. The mayor plans to bring together the merchants of the town on Monday “to tell them that we are ready to support them and to stand up”.
Brigitte Barèges denounces “a form of blackmail”
For the moment, no ticket has been drawn up to her knowledge but Brigitte Barèges denounces “a form of blackmail” with the call to order made by the police to traders this Saturday. “These intimidations have had their effect, believes Brigitte Barèges, because very few shops remained open in the afternoon. It is understandable that traders do not want to expose themselves unnecessarily. “
If the prefect of Tarn-et-Garonne asked the national police to control the shops open this Saturday morning, the elected Republicans on the contrary gave instructions to the municipal police not to verbalize traders. “They are already busy monitoring places of worship, she judges. We are almost alone. We have 19 Catholic and Protestant religious buildings to protect, seven cemeteries. So, faced with the risk of terrorism, I think the police have better things to do than issue a ticket. “
“Either we close the shelves of supermarkets competing with our downtown businesses, or we open everyone up. But there is an injustice that must absolutely be repaired”, now claims Brigitte Barèges. This Sunday noon, the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, announced a possible closure in supermarkets of “shelves of products which are not essential”. Measures that should be specified by the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, who is to speak this Sunday evening in the 8 p.m. of TF1.
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