“The burkini is a non-subject”, said Monday the mayor of Grenoble, Éric Piolle (EELV), as his municipality prepares to vote on a modification to the swimming pool regulations which could authorize this controversial bathing suit. “For the past ten days, we have heard a huge controversy swelling everywhere around the burkini and Grenoble”, laments the elected official in a video on Twitter, the subject being on the agenda of the municipal council scheduled for May 16. According to Éric Piolle, it is only a question of “ensuring equal access to public services, and the freedom to dress or undress, while respecting hygiene and safety”.
“Extremely violent debates”
Pool regulations should be “just social progress so that women can come and bathe topless like men and so that covering swimsuits to protect themselves from the sun are authorized, and so that burkinis are authorized too”, says -he. “In fact, we don’t care if it’s a covering jersey, if he’s there to protect himself from the sun, if he’s there for religious reasons, it doesn’t concern us”, insists the mayor, deploring “debates of extreme violence” in recent days.
If passed, the rule change would come into effect “as of June 1”, just in time for the summer opening of municipal swimming pools.
For 10 days, we’ve been hearing everything and anything on the #secularism.
Let us recall the modernity of the law of 1905: it is clear, limpid, and no one should question it. The fight against political Islam must not go through the deviation of the law of 1905. pic.twitter.com/HTDxEWJPPb
— Eric Piolle (@EricPiolle) May 9, 2022
An explosive city council
The announcement of the inclusion of this explosive theme on the agenda for May 16 has already aroused an outcry from the Grenoble opposition and provoked the ire of the president (LR) of the Auvergne region. -Rhône-Alpes Laurent Wauquiez, who threatens to deprive the city of regional subsidies.
A petition gathering more than 1,800 signatures also denounces “an indirect attack on gender equality” and demands the deletion of this point from the agenda of the municipal council.
the #burkinis is a non-subject.
In Grenoble, we are going to propose a modification of the swimming pool regulations in order to ensure equal access to public services, and the freedom to dress or undress, while respecting hygiene and safety. pic.twitter.com/n00gNKCXEt
— Eric Piolle (@EricPiolle) May 9, 2022