"Generation Z" Who are the young people who support Eric Zemmour for the presidency of France?

Once again, the French right-wing writer Eric Zemmour is facing prosecution on charges of inciting hatred, while his supporters consider them political trials designed to silence his views, those who call themselves "Generation Z" and support him to become the new Trump at the head of France.

French right-wing writer and potential presidential candidate Eric Zemmour has appeared before the Corrective Court in Paris for calling minor immigrants "thieves, murderers and rapists." That was on Wednesday, when he was charged with "inciting racial hatred and humiliation" in connection with the remarks he made to local channel CNews in September 2020.

Zammour was a regular editor and commentator on the "Face à l'info" program, which is broadcast on the CNews channel, before he withdrew from it due to his ambition to run for the presidential elections to be held in April 2022. He said following the attack. On the old premises of the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo at the time: "There is no place for them here (France). They are thieves, murderers and rapists. This is what they are. They should be sent home, we shouldn't have allowed them to come in the first place."

On the other hand, while highlighting his intention to run for the presidency of the country, Zammour gathered around him a movement of young people who support him and his ideas, and who support the hateful approach he adopts against Islam and immigrants. They call themselves "Generation Z" after its first letter, and they are mostly right-wing extremists, monarchists and fascists. They considered that the lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to silence the journalist's voice, and a violation of his right to freedom of expression.

Petition to support racism

In order to defend Eric Zemmour, these supporters created a website entitled "I support Zemmour", on which a petition was published for signature. These minors are isolated cases.

“It is the freedom of expression of all French people that is being affected. This scandal that harms the judiciary and France must be put to an end,” the petition’s authors demand, considering that what is happening is the judiciary’s interference in political affairs and a systematic attack against Zammour, who, in their words, “dared and told the truth.” Concerning immigrants who threaten the security of the French.

They described the French judiciary for this as a "hypocrisy" and considered that Eric Zemmour is the only one who speaks of France respectfully and defends it desperately before "the government of judges and the media of political correctness." The far-right writer's supporters are calling for "support for Eric Zemmour and the defense of freedom of expression" in a petition signed so far by 102,000 French.

Fascists, racists and royalists!

The first time you enter the "Gil Zemmour" website, you come across a picture of it with the words "Zemmour 2022: To restore France's greatness". In Trump's slogan, he cannot but highlight the extent to which the controversial writer was influenced by the former American president, and his dream to live the same fate with the replacement of the White House by the Elysee.

However, what is more interesting is the advent of that phrase in the form of an electoral campaign slogan, the owner of which is still reticent until now about whether or not he will officially confirm his candidacy. But the answer comes from "Generation Z", which defines itself as a movement that was established in February this year out of the "deep love its members have for France", and with the aim of "gathering support for Eric Zemmour's candidacy for the 2022 presidency." Because "France deserves a president who proudly defends its essence." All this with reference at the end of the definition that "the movement is independent and Zammour is not responsible for the content of its website", while devoting its great effort to publicizing the journalist's racist ideas.

A press investigation by Mediapart reveals that this movement is mainly composed of cadres of other far-right movements, which call for a return to the monarchy, such as the "French Movement", or hold violent fascist and racist ideas, such as the banned "Generation Identity" movement. The investigation adds that it is not only about ordinary members of these extremist movements, but also leaders and officials of fundraising and mobilizing propaganda campaigns.

Mediapart reports that the French movement's spokesman, Antoine Perthes, said that these elements chose Eric Zemmour instead of Marine Le Pen, because he is "the most radical and responsive to their aspirations, instead of Le Pen, who seems lax and unable to defend their demands." Perth gave an example of this, "Marine Le Pen's condemnation of one of our protest activities," referring to the attempt of eight activists from the movement to storm the council of the Ossetian region (southern of the country) and raise a banner saying "The left-wing Islamists are traitors to France!"

It provides another article on "Révolution permanente" that "it is hard not to see that Zemour campaign includes the royalists and neo-Nazis and veterans of the National Rally Party, and that these elements are published hate speech and anti - Islam through the means of social communication, and organizing violence campaigns against immigrants."