The far-left anarchist group “Attaque” has taken credit for an attack on the vehicle of an MP belonging to French President Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche! (LREM/Republic on the Move).
The arson attack took place outside the home of French MP Eric Alauzet in the city of Besançon and saw his car set on fire, with the blaze spreading to other vehicles parked next to it belonging to his neighbours.
Alauzet said he was “revolted” by the incident and said the attack had come after at least a year of constant harassment.
“I have been subjected to constant aggression for a year, I have been insulted on social networks, received threatening, anonymous letters,” he said and added it was clear the group wanted to intimidate him, France Bleu reports.
The anarchist group took credit for the attack on Saturday morning and put out a statement saying: “Fire on all authority! For freedom.”
Etienne Manteaux, the prosecutor of the Republic of Besançon, said that an investigation had been opened and investigators of the judicial police were handling the case.
Several local politicians came out in support of Alauzet including Republican Ludovic Fagaut and populist National Rally (RN) member Jacques Ricciardetti, who said: “Violence, intimidation, plunging [France] into chaos. What about the dissolution of anarchist and far-left groups?”
The arson attack comes as far-left Antifa extremism has intensified across France in recent weeks. In Paris, investigators discovered an alleged bomb factory headquarters of the group, arresting several extremists for building explosives.
During the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown, Antifa extremists were believed to be behind the large-scale sabotage of communications infrastructure in many parts of the country.
Earlier this month, another two far-left extremists were arrested in Bourg-en-Bresse near Lyon for allegedly plotting to murder police officers. Police made the two arrests after discovering the suspects had acquired firearms to carry out the plot.
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