This Saturday, December 10, at the invitation of the Collectif Education Valenciennes Converge, several dozen people gathered in front of the Valenciennes Museum of Fine Arts. And this, in support of Sophie Djigo, the philosophy teacher of the Watteau high school, the target of threats and insults (particularly via social media, as well as on her personal mailbox) on the sidelines of a trip she was preparing with students with migrants in Calais. Consequently, the rectorate had decided to cancel this educational outing. by the security measures “, while filing charges against the alleged perpetrators of those threats.
Behind the ” unconditional support brought to Sophie Djigo, it was a question – for the participants in this gathering – of defending” freedom to teach “. A teacher of the Watteau high school intervened in particular on behalf of the educational staff of the institute, to proceed with the reading of a written text in the general assembly: “ The Reconquête! party, the Rassemblement National, as well as the social networks that derive from them, see a victory in the fact that one can, with the most brutal violence, cancel a school trip project which is a question of educational freedom. The educational staff of the Watteau high school consider this a defeat of democracy, which is increasingly corroded by their sickening ideologies. But after the assassination of Samuel Paty and the attacks on our colleague from Reconquest! and the Parents Vigilants network, our determination to fight against all forms of violence, obscurantism and intolerance remains intact (…) We refuse to live in fear and tyranny of groups who broadcast their hatred on social networks. Faced with these threats of falling into any kind of self-censorship which would clearly be a defeat for the values we uphold on a daily basis and for the educational freedom to which we are deeply attached, we refuse to give in to relativism fueled by far-right groups (…) We we await clear and infallible support from the public authorities, so that the perpetrators of this infamous lynching do not go unpunished. And that this kind of thing never happens again ».
Members of the teaching staff of the Walloon high school were also present at the meeting. A text, also written in the general assembly, was also read by a teacher: “ We do not want to teach for fear of having our teaching dictated by a political group. We strongly express our support for a colleague whose professionalism has been despised and whose safety is now in question. We want to be able to work calmly, away from any revenge or threat. We will oppose all forms of obstruction, defamation, bundling, censorship and attempted intimidation ».
Also present at this rally were trade unions, local elected officials (the municipal opposition group Valenciennes Verte et Solidaire, LFI and EELV).
To be found in detail in our edition of Friday 16 December.
