Europe 1 with AFP
After more than 2 hours 30 minutes of debate, the Grenoble city council validated the modification of the internal rules of the swimming pools of Grenoble. This modification now authorizes the wearing of the burkini in all the swimming pools of the city. The LR president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiez, should quickly seize the administrative court of Grenoble to contest this modification.
The municipal council of Grenoble validated Monday a modification of the internal regulations of the swimming pools of Grenoble resulting in the authorization of the port of the burkini, a subject which aroused a national political controversy. The deliberation was adopted with a narrow majority of 29 votes for, 27 against and two abstentions, after 2 hours 30 minutes of sometimes tense debates.
The environmentalist mayor Eric Piolle brushed aside the objections of the opposition, invoking a “feminist”, “health” and “secularism” fight because nothing prohibits the wearing of religious clothing in the public space, “including included in the swimming pool”. The now revised rules of procedure for swimming pools provide that the length of swimsuits will no longer be limited, explained Sports Assistant Céline Mennetrier. It will allow women to bathe topless and all bathers to wear a swimsuit to protect them from the sun.
“Break with the values of our Republic”
The wearing of the burkini was claimed by the controversial Alliance Citoyenne association, which since 2019 has organized several punch operations in Grenoble swimming pools to get its message across. Its members, gathered in a room in Grenoble, attended the city council meeting by video broadcast.
The president (LR) of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region Laurent Wauquiez, quickly reacted to the vote of the municipal council, accusing Eric Piolle of “definitively recording his break with secularism and the values of our Republic”. The prefect of Isère said Sunday evening that he would seize the administrative court of Grenoble, on the instructions of the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin to block the measure if it were adopted.