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French Mayors Call for Liberal Candidate Lisnard's Resignation Over 1961 Massacre Remarks

· Source: Algeria Now

French Mayors Call for Liberal Candidate Lisnard's Resignation Over 1961 Massacre Remarks
Photo: Photo : France Hélices / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

David Lisnard, the liberal presidential candidate and AMF president, faced a demand for his resignation on Thursday after his comments on the 17 October 1961 massacre sparked outrage among French local officials.

During a televised interview with Lola‑Fleur Whittaker on Monday evening, 22 October, Lisnard described the event as "very serious, dramatic, but it was 61" and, when asked about the massacre, replied simply: "It was 1961". The remarks came after President Macron’s 2024 commemoration of the tragedy and prompted a backlash, including a resolution from the French National Assembly condemning the massacre.

On 20 October, a letter signed by 61 mayors, led by Stains mayor Azzédine Taïbi, was sent to Lisnard demanding he step down from the AMF. The signatories included Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, Aulnoye‑Aymeries mayor Bernard Baudoux, Grigny mayor Philippe Rio, Villepinte mayor Mélissa Youssouf and Saint‑Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko. They described Lisnard’s remarks as "indignes" and called for a public apology to the victims’ families.

Taïbi said: "I demand you retract your statements and publicly apologize to the families of the victims". The mayors’ letter urges Lisnard to resign, but no resignation has been submitted and the demand remains pending.

Lisnard’s campaign has not responded to the mayors’ request, and the controversy is expected to influence the upcoming presidential race, with the candidate’s stance on historical memory under intense scrutiny.

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