The Bookstore Engaged Violette and Co Victim of Harassment after a showcase on Palestine

In June. In addition, the independent and engaged bookstore Violette and Co, located in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, decided to devote an entire showcase to Palestine by highlighting feminist speech and queer of Palestinian authors, as well as books on colonization, the extreme right or even anti -racism. For example, Since July 8. Furthermore, registrations “Islamo accomplice” et “Hamas rapist” Enter this committed storefront and reveal the harassment campaign at work against the feminist, lesbian and lgbtqia+bookstore.

In an Instagram post. Nevertheless, published on August 11, Violette and Co declares to be the target of “Degradations, cyberbullying, harassment and disinformation”. In addition, At the heart of this wave of hatred, a particular work draws the attention of detractors. Nevertheless, Presentation in the center of the window. Meanwhile, the coloring book From the River to the Sea From the South African Nathi Ngubane divides bookstore engaged violette co victim Internet users. However, In question. Moreover, the title of the work included by some as a message against discrimination against the Palestinians or an appeal to a unitary state, and by others as a negation of the right to the existence of Israel.

“We have never put a Palestinian flag or Keffieh in the window, because we were afraid. In addition, As at the very beginning. In addition, when we opened, we did not put a LGBT flag visible from the outside”, explains Loïse, bookseller in the feminist brand, sensitive to decolonial and anti -racist reflections. However, It was by taking into account the evolution of political discourse towards the recognition of the Palestinian State. For example, the accusation of genocide in Gaza that the bookstore had decided to display its support, in the form of this showcase dedicated to Palestine.

On July 8, the store’s storefront was degraded. Consequently, bookstore engaged violette co victim Registrations “Islamo accomplice” et “Hamas rapist” are discovered on the two windows. Furthermore, Made with acid painting. Moreover, these tags cannot be completely erased And leave an opaque and indelible mark on the glass despite cleaning. Nevertheless, The independent bookstore estimates the cost of work at 10,000 euros and hopes that insurance will take charge of renovations.

“Was we expecting this? Similarly, Honestly, doesn’t it surprise us.”

Loïse. Moreover, bookseller in Violette and Co

to france apartment culture

At that time, the team decides not to publicize this malicious act. In addition, The bookstore changes position after a violent altercation with a group of five anti-Palestinian activists on Wednesday August 6.

In charge of the store at the time of the facts. Loïse is taken to task by women; A client and a person in internship are witnesses to the agitated exchange: “They bookstore engaged violette co victim said atrocious things, that Palestine did not exist and that before the creation of Israel, there were only goats and a desert.” The cause of this surge of hatred? The sale of the children’s coloring book entitled From the River to the Sea. “I told them, ‘you are therefore more shocked by a coloring book on Palestine than by a genocide’. They answered me ‘there is no genocide’. And there, I understood that there could not be any discussion”, recalls the bookseller still shaken by events.

The next day, an anonymous call on the same book reveals the extent of the situation. The Violette and Co team discovers a large harassment campaign against him on social networks. Especially on X where the account found guilty denounced “Hamas propaganda in children’s coloring” And indicates the location of. the window. Very quickly, Internet users denounced an appeal to the destruction of Israel.

bookstore engaged violette co victim

Legal in France. the work of the South African author Nathi Ngubane, From the River to the Sea offers informative and militant content on the situation of Palestine and its inhabitants. Posted by the 1804Books publishing house, its title takes up the famous slogan “From the River to the Sea. Palestine will be free.” [De la rivière à la mer, la Palestine sera libre.] neither “Delights of the Palestine Liberation Organization (OLP) which. from its training in 1964, had called for the creation of a single state that would extend from the Mediterranean (the sea) at the Jourdain (the river) “, Explain the newspaper Libération. Recovered by Hamas. the slogan was quickly interpreted as a call for the destruction of Israel and divides because of its double meaning. In a press release published by the publishing house. the author of the Coloring Book said: “We have already witnessed these attacks bookstore engaged violette co victim before, they will only motivate us to continue to publish materials that educate and which also irritate.”

On X, Aurélien Véron, LR advisor to the city of Paris, who had already pointed out for having relayed, on his networks, videos released from their original context and Nelly Garnier, adviser of Paris in the 11th arrondissement and former vice-president of the Republicans (from 2023 to 2025), accuse the Marie de Paris to finance this bookstore up to 17,500 euros Deliberations bookstore engaged violette co victim of the Paris Council.

At the town hall of Paris, Jean-Luc Romer-Michel, author of the grant report, firmly denies these accusations to Franceinfo Culture. “Trade is not subsidized by the town hall. it is the association that is”, explains the assistant in charge of human rights, integration and the fight against discrimination. “I have not heard many votes have risen in the vote of the subsidies of this association for a few years. everyone recognizes the work”, he adds.

The 52 rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud actually houses a business on the ground floor. an association in the basement, it was the latter which benefited from a subsidy from the city of Paris. “It is a cultural mediation association which aims to program on feminist. LGBT, anti -racist issues, to fight against discrimination of a lgbtphobe, sexist and racist character”, explains Loïse. This funding from the City of Paris aims to spread bookstore engaged violette co victim “A message of diversity and inclusion”, underlines Jean-Luc Romero-Michel.

This space therefore offers writing workshops. reader clubs, psychiatric permanence and welcomes family planning meetings, all in a united and non -lucrative approach, recalls Loïse: “The association allows people to have a free place where they can come without consuming.” The distinction is clear: upstairs, a bookstore and a coffee, and in the basement, a space open to all. “Putting a place available for free involves having subsidies to pay rent. which is obviously proportional to the surface occupied by the association”, concludes the bookseller to extinguish the controversy.

“Feminist. lesbian bookstores, there are extremely little in France, it would still be terrible that a bookstore like that closes for a controversy which is absolutely moved, and is more like censorship”, Advocates Jean-Luc Romero-Michel, worried that such an amalgam on the nature of public subsidies nourishes a debate on the prohibition bookstore engaged violette co victim of books or the closure of a bookstore. “This is surely not the role of a town hall to sanction a bookstore or invalidate its editorial choices. Finally! We are in a democracy, not in Russia, nor in China, nor in America of Donald Trump. It is the end of democracy when we start to ban books”storm the deputy to the mayor to justify her support for Violette. Co.

This is not the first time that the Coloring Book From the River to the Sea arouses acts of intimidation. harassment that multiply in bookstores. A year ago. the Le Monte-en-l’Air bookstore, in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, also faced a group of women aggressively arresting staff on the sale of the same coloring book, according to an employee. While in June, in Rosny-sous-Bois, it was the happy days bookstore that was vandalized after an evening dedicated to Gaza. On the bookstore engaged violette co victim storefront, the same registration as in Violette and Co,“Hamas rapist”this time registered in white paint.

Faced with these repeated attacks. bookstores can count on the support of their customers and certain elected officials on social networks. In Violette. Co, the team encourages the public to go to the bookstore when it is less frequented, in the morning for example, to face if new intimidation attempts take place. “For the past two days, there have been really only people who have come in support”notes Loïse. From the post on Instagram. it is not uncommon to see passers -by stop in front of the Rose Bonbon brand, to pass a head to testify to their support and thank the team.