French far right accuses minister of defamation

Minister says party's stance is 'blacks in the trees, Arabs in the sea, gays in the Seine, Jews in the ovens'

French Justice Minister Christine Taubira (photo credit: courtesy)

PARIS — France’s far-right party is filing a complaint against the justice minister, who called the party’s ideas “murderous” after one of its members compared her to a monkey.

On French television last week, a National Front candidate in a municipal election acknowledged she had posted a montage on Facebook that implied a photo of a monkey was a baby picture of Justice Minister Christine Taubira, who is black. The National Front has since suspended Anne-Sophie Leclere’s candidacy.

Taubira responded Saturday that the “deadly and murderous thinking” of the party should come as no surprise: “It’s blacks in the trees, Arabs in the sea, gays in the Seine, Jews in the ovens.”

Wallerand de Saint-Just, a lawyer for the party, said Sunday it would file a complaint for defamation and insults.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press

read more: