At the beginning of the week, Christian Estrosi condemned a new breach of secularism following the organization of prayers in a Nice school by two students. Similar incidents occurred during the week, so on November 17, the mayor met with the parents of three students involved.
Christian Estrosi this morning met with the parents of three students who organized prayers in their school this week. The mayor of Nice was accompanied by his first deputy, Anthony Borrรฉ, and Jean-Luc Gagliolo, deputy in charge of Education.
At the end of the meeting, Christian Estrosi praised the “spirit of responsibilityโ of the families he met, “who are all aware of the principles and stakes of secularism, a fundamental pillar of our Republic.”
The mayor of Nice shared that he had “very constructive exchanges” and stated: “It is clear that the family units showed no intention to violate the principles of secularism and the Republic. However, it is our duty to remain particularly vigilant against the incitements to violate secularism, which are increasingly manifested on social networks.โ
Recurring cases
On Monday, November 13, two third-grade students organized a prayer within their school in Nice. The mayor of Nice promptly condemned these acts, in agreement with the head of the Nice Academy, Natacha Chicot, as an infringement on secularism.
Subsequently, they announced their wish to meet with “immediately” the families to “remind them of the fundamental principles of secularism.” Jean-Luc Gagliolo handled the matter. He met with the parents of the two 8-year-old children who then received a warning.
In the following days, five other similar situations were reported. Natacha Chicot mentioned two cases on Wednesday, November 15, and three other cases on Thursday, November 16.
