Emmanuel Petit has never been a man to use wooden language. Neither when he was a player, and even less since he stopped, he who is a consultant for RMC. Thus, on Sunday, through a video that he posted on his Instagram account, the 1998 world champion alongside Zinédine Zidane wanted to express his support for the people who were the victims of the looting that took place on the sidelines of the October 17 demonstrations. “I have a lot of thoughts both for the police, but also for all the people who lost their profession and their work this Saturday, years of work, of sacrifices to have an honest life, whether they are French or immigrants trying to integrate into France.”
Very quickly, Emmanuel Petit's thoughts focused on the troublemakers, the thugs. And the former Arsenal player lets go, drawing a parallel with the violence which also punctuated the celebrations of PSG's two Champions League titles: “I witnessed, like many people, what happened on Saturday October 17, and I find it a pure scandal. There are no words to express what I feel. I have a deep anger inside me towards people who are supposed to be like me, born French, but apparently they don't care about having a French passport. I am even convinced that they hate France (…) Today, I want to take to the streets and have fun with all these little idiots, because there are no other words. All these people that I saw on the evening of the Paris Saint-Germain Champions League finals, because it’s the same modus operandi. They are all hooded, because cowardice is what unites them. We destroy everything, we burn everything, we break everything, we pillage, we steal, we hurt, we attack, we insult.”
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In this video of more than three and a half minutes, Emmanuel Petit continues his speech by addressing politicians: “We must not mix the thugs and the people who demonstrated, which I completely understand because I too am more than tired of being squeezed like a lemon on a tax level. Because all French people who work honestly, who get up early to have a dignified life, to be able to raise their children, to try to have some semblance of a future, these people are trampled on. We are being rushed. Today, I am addressing the political class, starting with our dear president, Mr. Macron, and all political classes. I see in the National Assembly and the Senate, everywhere, all the political parties fighting today to have absolute power in a few months. To all these people, I have a message to convey: Be very careful about what you are going to do, what you are going to say and how you are going to protect honest citizens in France. Because today, we are fed up. There is no money for the police, there is no money for the army, there is no money for hospitals, there is no money for schools. There is no money for anyone except you politicians. Oddly, the only thing that works in France is taxes. So there, we can count on you to come rush us, put our heads in the toilet. It's never enough. Taxes are constantly increasing. He's fed up. We are right to demand a return from the State, because you are asking so many things from us in return. But where are you? What are you doing?”
And the former footballer concluded his diatribe with a final personal message: “All the people who still believe deeply, like me, that France is a superb country which opens its doors with open arms to all people who wish to come here. Keep going, because I'm like you. I love my country, I love all the foreigners who love my country, who want to integrate. But everyone else, starting with the French who do not want France to continue to be what it is, go back where you come from, we don't need you. And all those who were born with a French passport, get out of there! We don’t want you anymore.”
