He had toured TV sets and radio studios to denounce insults and attacks against him. The investigation of “threat” which the philosophy professor from Trappes (Yvelines) Didier Lemaire claimed to be the subject of after the assassination of Samuel Paty in 2020, was dismissed, for an insufficiently characterized offense, the Versailles prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.
In November 2020, this philosophy professor had published in the Obs an open letter titled “How to overcome the absence of a state strategy to defeat Islamism?”a month after the assassination of the teacher Samuel Paty by a young Chechen who accused him of having shown caricatures of Muhammad to his students.
Didier Lemaire was then very publicized, denouncing the supposed influence of the Islamists on the young people of Trappes to whom he taught philosophy. “They are definitely lost”, he also said to Release. During the many TV shows in which he participated, the teacher claimed in particular to be the target “hate speech” and “attacks”.
A survey forthreats against a person charged with a public service mission” was then opened in January 2021 by the Versailles prosecutor’s office. But almost a year later, at the end of December 2021, the investigations were therefore abandoned, for lack of sufficient information.
This affair had quickly taken a very political turn. The city’s Génération.s mayor Ali Rabeh, who accused Lemaire of holding “violent words […] who condemn in advance, who relegate, who exclude”, had surrendered in front of the philosophy teacher’s high school to distribute leaflets opposing him and his remarks. Threatened with death for his positions, Rabeh had to be placed under police protection.
For his part, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin had offered the teacher a “close protection”which Didier Lemaire had accepted.
Valérie Pécresse first support
Among the main supporters of the professor was also the president (Libres!, ex-LR) of the Ile-de-France region Valérie Pécresse. The now presidential candidate had also been the first national politician to relay the article in the Point in which it was learned that the teacher had been placed under protection upon its publication.
The champion of the right had shown her her “unwavering support as to all our hussars who are on the front line in the fight for the Republic”. Before embarking on the battle for his re-election to the regional council, Pécresse had also met the professor at the headquarters of the Region in March 2021, according to the Parisian.
From now on, Valérie Pécresse and Didier Lemaire should have the opportunity to meet more regularly. Indeed, the former professor of philosophy begins this Tuesday a mission for the regional council of Ile-de-France, of which Valérie Pécresse – although in the presidential campaign – is still president.
“This is a secondment of a national education official to the territorial public service”, do we confirm Freed. Grateful that this is a “singular agent”the Region does not wish to dwell on the missions and tasks entrusted to Lemaire, explaining “that he is now an agent of the Region, [qui] does not necessarily communicate on it”.
The only certainty: the former teacher will work around questions of artistic and cultural education, which is notably implemented in high schools in the Ile-de-France region. Contacted by ReleaseDidier Lemaire is content to refer to the press service of the Ile-de-France region.