countering migrant centers such as those in Saint-Brevin are seen as matters of existential survival anti-immigrant hate in France has escalated to a more dangerous stage It is highly likely that the attack on the mayor is linked to this contentious atmosphere and Morez has denounced the state’s insufficient response to the wave of threats from opponents it would not be out of their nature to have conducted an attack such as this on the mayor while the Reconquête coalition brought their intimidation efforts to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins (Pays de la Loire) The Ouest Casual Nazis are also planning on returning for a demonstration in front of the town hall on April 29 If the project to build the reception center is abandoned due to harassment by these groups it is likely that the broader far right will decide to bring violent protests to more cities and intimidate more asylum seekers using the legal routes afforded them by the law It is vital that all governments do more to protect the rights of migrants to legally apply for asylum status from violent third-party groups protect local officials defending their rights to do so and put an end to stepping over the line of legitimate protest Migrants have a civil and human right to apply for asylum and their right to do so should not be impeded by violent racists who see intimidation and spreading fear as a legitimate means of political participation Strengthening a diverse global community committed to exposing and countering racism A woman walks down a street in the village of Callac The far right cried victory in January 2023 when mayor Jean-Yves Rolland of Callac gave up his plan to house seven to 10 refugee families at the call of a far-right group against the reception in the town of 15 migrants speaks to people gathered outside the city hall in Saint-Jean-de-Monts The small movement known as the Vendee Rally calls for farmers and fishermen to protest immigrants and foreign imports A person in favor of welcoming migrants observes people demonstrating in Saint-Jean-de-Monts at the call of the far-right group against the reception in the town of 15 migrants People walk in the center of the village of Callac A woman holds some bread as she crosses the street in the village of Callac when Rolland gave up his plan to house seven to 10 refugee families Some of the threatening letters to Jean-Yves Rolland Asylum seekers had been in the town since 2016 but a plan to house them near a school triggered protests that children would be at risk Workers operate at the main entrance of the future reception center for asylum seekers in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins A plan to house them near a school triggered protests that children would be at risk More than 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the north trouble visited another mayor when he decided to take in a handful of refugee families The aim was to fill job vacancies in the village; instead While other European countries including Germany Italy and Spain have seen protests over similar issues the backlash against mayors is especially jarring in France The French have traditionally revered state institutions A small-town mayor embodies the values of the French Republic The tactics used against French mayors in recent years go beyond the usual street protests and angry public meetings They include violence and disinformation — and local demonstrations are often amplified by outside agitators national identity has become a war cry for far-right political groups They promote the idea that foreigners are stealing the riches of the nation through state handouts and that they will ultimately upend France’s traditional way of life is increasingly worried about fringe movements and their potential for violence Far right groups became more active after deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in 2015-2016 One of their goals is to “precipitate a clash” over those viewed as outsiders then-DGSI chief Nicolas Lerner said in a rare interview with Le Monde last year “The normalization of a recourse to violence and the temptation to want to impose ideas through fear or intimidation is a grave danger to our democracies,″ he said The violent views of the radical right in the U.S have spread to Europe and been amplified through social media The French far right first made its mark in 1984 when the National Front of Jean-Marie Le Pen won 10 seats in the European Parliament reached a runoff in the 2002 presidential election against the incumbent has staked out a position even further to the right is the lead candidate in elections for the European Parliament in June Reconquête’s ambitions go further than just a protest movement has no personal connection to extremist groups ‘If these people want to join me and my party Reconquête is also leading a campaign against the educational system with an agenda to end what it calls the “great indoctrination.” It runs a pressure group that tries to keep schools from teaching about topics it deems inappropriate and encourages people to snitch on teachers who do subscribe to the “great replacement” theory the false claim that native populations of Western countries are being overrun by non-white immigrants who will one day erase Christian civilization and its values supported by the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting is part of an ongoing Associated Press series covering threats to democracy in Europe The far right claimed victory in January 2023 when Mayor Jean-Yves Rolland of Callac gave up his plan to house seven to 10 refugee families in his town in Brittany His goal had been to help fill local jobs and inject dynamism into the isolated enclave with a shrinking population “They were clearly threatening democracy,” Rolland said dumping a pile of written threats on his desk in the town hall Aggressors” who should be “returned to Africa.” Another showed a patron saint of France trampling on a Quran and chasing Islam’s Prophet Mohammed out of France with a pitchfork including “troll factories” that generate swarms of emails targeting an individual Rolland said he received hundreds of angry emails that mysteriously passed through the Czech Republic complicating investigators’ efforts to locate the senders Mayor Yannick Morez of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins was awakened in the night on March 22 of last year to find flames lapping at the front of his home while his family slept His cars were completely destroyed by fire but out-of-towners seized on the opportunity to promote their anti-migrant cause whether in person or via online campaigning the town remains tense; it went into full lockdown for a low-key immigration conference last fall French mayors faced another brief challenge last year: Six nights of nationwide rioting over the police killing of a 17-year-old with North African roots the unrest stretched beyond metropolitan areas and reached provincial towns too super-charged by messages shared by teenagers on TikTok A mass police deployment brought the violence to a halt The farmers are the embodiment of “la France profonde,” the very essence of what makes France French showed up at one farmers’ demonstration last month in the southern city of Montpellier and Jeremias Gonzalez in Saint-Jean-de-Monts Ganley has reported on the French far right for The Associated Press since 1984 Tuesday World Subscribers only Israel prepares large-scale Gaza offensive to achieve lasting occupation World Subscribers only Romania enters government crisis amid election World Subscribers only In Zurich the leaf blower war or the anti-'woke' backlash World Subscribers only Germany's Friedrich Merz is embracing pragmatism World Subscribers only Founder of Sant'Egidio community fears next pope could undo Francis's legacy Opinion Subscribers only 'Russian gas and Europe is an old story that ended badly Economy Subscribers only Europe's steel industry flattened by crisis World Subscribers only How European countries plan to fund defense efforts France Subscribers only Detective tells court Kim Kardashian's robbers were 'a fine team France Subscribers only Macron announces citizens' convention on school schedules France Subscribers only 21 charged over French prison attacks as investigation narrows in on drug traffickers France Subscribers only French mosque stabber was driven by 'morbid fascination,' prosecutor says Videos World expos: From Paris 1855 to Osaka 2025 Videos How the Trump administration is attacking scientific research in the US Videos Tesla cars set on fire in Las Vegas as calls to boycott Musk's company grow worldwide Videos Can France's nuclear deterrent protect Europe Opinion Subscribers only 'The American dream is dying' Editorial European call to aid foreign researchers is too modest Opinion Subscribers only John Bolton: 'The term chaos is commonly used to describe the top of the Defense Department' Magazine Subscribers only Tracking down the pianos taken from French Jews during the Nazi Occupation Magazine Subscribers only Eve Rodsky the American helping couples balance the mental load Magazine Subscribers only Desecration or more glory Joan Didion's private diaries are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris the mayor of a small town in western France stepped down after an arson attack on his home He had been threatened by far-right extremists who opposed his plans to welcome refugees but received little support from the government By Clément Guillou and Julia Pascual who accepted in February 2022 to create a reception center for asylum seekers in his town after three months of far-right demonstrations including organizations ranging from Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) party to small neo-fascist groups he was awakened at dawn by the burning of his two cars The flames then reached the walls of his house he announced his resignation and his departure from Saint-Brevin-les-Pins "after a long reflection with [his] family." The career general practitioner denounced the "lack of support from the state," which he had requested by mail six times since January Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Stuck in a perpetual state of decay on the French shore at Saint-Brevin-les-Pins this massive metal sculpture is a terrifying vision with an environmental message The beast is posed in slithering movement despite being nothing more than bones giving the dull metal frame an unsettlingly lifelike quality Entitled Serpent D'Océan, the skeletal sea serpent was unveiled in 2012 as part of the Estuaire art exhibition which invites international artists to create large-scale works using the environment surrounding the Loire River between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire The work was created by Chinese-French artist Huang Yong Ping who used the rough iconography of China's mythological dragons to design the 400-foot-long art monster.  The message behind the piece seems to be one of environmental nostalgia as though man's mistreatment of the oceans is killing not only its life The serpent's curves roughly mirror the twists and turns of the nearby Saint-Nazaire bridge linking the piece to the very modern progress it seems to be speaking on the aspect that is without debate is the menace projected by the fearfully undead snake the Serpent D'Océan can be seen as a strangely living creature rising from the ocean waters or a purposefully preserved skeleton held above the shallow waves depending on the level of the tide upon a given visit and horror have rarely been so steadfastly intertwined.      This exaggerated sculpture resembles a well known feature of Vancouver: This magenta statue commemorates the legendary marriage between a mermaid and the city's founder An enormous steel waterfall is a nod to the substance that shaped Britain's Steel City big-tailed beast became a Pennsylvania town's unofficial mascot There are eight natural springs around town An earthwork sculpture built by Robert Smithson in the Great Salt Lake only reemerges during drought A tiny park off the beaten path covered in ingenious scrap metal sculptures A series of eerie metal stick figures are spread out over four square miles on the bed of a huge salt lake in the Australian Outback resigned after death threats and attack on his home French politicians have warned about the risk posed by the country’s increasingly violent and toxic rows over immigration after the mayor of a seaside town resigned following death threats and an arson attack on his home and far-right groups protested over an asylum-seeker centre in his town Yannick Morez announced he was stepping down as mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, in western France and would have to stop his work as a local doctor weeks after his home was targeted in an arson attack that burned two cars and the front of his family house but Morez complained of a “lack of support from the state” Emmanuel Macron denounced the attacks on Morez as “outrageous” said the case was “very shocking” and showed “a rise in extremism” in France “on both sides” as Socialist politicians said Borne was putting the far right and the left in the same category the head of the parliamentary group of Macron’s centrist party said: “As soon as you talk of immigration in France everything becomes tense and a little different.” Macron has promised a new law on immigration by the summer, but there is confusion and political rowing over how to present it and uncertainty over how it could pass when Macron’s centrists have no absolute majority in parliament It remains to be seen whether the new law could simplify providing legal papers to undocumented workers in jobs where there are labour shortages Polling by BVA for the Jean Jaurès thinktank last month found that 69% of French people felt there were “too many immigrants in France” Support for the far right has increased across France, where Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration National Rally is now the biggest opposition party in parliament Other parties are seeking to channel anti-immigration feeling in an increasingly tense and polarised political environment Politicians on the left attacked the government for failing to protect Morez and defend asylum-seeker centres tweeted: “It’s shameful that the state did not grasp the scale of what was happening to [Morez] and did not back him up It’s shameful to continue normalising the far right.” a triumph of hatred and far-right violence against the humanism of the republic whose party is focusing on its parliamentary presence ahead of the 2027 presidential race and attempting to distance itself from the street demonstrations and rallies of small far-right groups But lawmakers on the left criticised Le Pen’s party for not joining other lawmakers in standing up in parliament to pay their respects to Morez after his resignation The government is under pressure over street marches and demonstrations by far-right groups and white supremacist groups after a controversial rally in Paris this week The Socialist senator David Assouline told the government: “It’s unacceptable to have allowed 500 neo-Nazis and fascists to parade in the heart of Paris.” said he had asked police chiefs to ban all future far-right extremist rallies adding that it would be up to courts to determine if they could be held Tara McGinn takes the ferry from Cork to Roscoff for a holiday of simple pleasures in France Playing on the beach near Saint-Brevin-les-Pins Enjoying the spectacle of the Great Elephant at Les Machines de L'ile in Nantes Tara McGinnMon 6 Jan 2020 at 03:30If you really want to feel like a child again in the battlements of the historic Château des ducs de Bretagne The Paysage Glisse is made of steel and is just like a playground slide but it's much bigger - suspended above a moat it wraps around the outer wall of the 19th-Century castle for 50 metres Whizzing down the first time brought me right back to childhood: the feel of sun-warmed metal under palms as you perch at the top Of course I had to have another few goes.. Simple pleasures are often the most rewarding And 'keep it simple' turned out to be the unofficial theme of our summer holiday to France's Western Loire/Southern Brittany region We have taken the ferry to France each summer for five years now There's usually a brief moment where we consider somewhere else but it has become a bit of a family tradition - it's simple and there's a lot to be said for knowing what you're getting yourself into especially when young children are involved French campsites are all pretty similar so there's the ease and familiarity that comes with knowing the set-up But we've never been to the same location twice so there's always something new to explore Brittany Ferries' Pont-Aven sails from Cork which is a good spot for the holiday to start Casting off at Ringaskiddy there's plenty to see from the deck: the Naval Service headquarters at Haulbowline then out past Roches Point and into the vastness of the Celtic Sea where The crossing to Roscoff takes around 14 hours (You can track the ship's progress live from the comfort of your bed on the cabin TV.) Boarding late afternoon and even a swimming pool if you can't wait to get the poolside fun started The ferry docks in Roscoff early in the morning so you can make the most of your first day; this is useful if you have a long drive ahead but sticking with our plan to keep things simple we headed to Saint-Brevin-les-Pins a seaside town a reasonable three-hour drive away Satnav might not be on your list of essentials but having driven in France both with it and without it takes a lot of the tension out of getting used to driving on the other side of the road We reached the town of Saint-Nazaire late on a sunny Sunday morning and stopped for food Sunday really is a day of rest in this part of France Town and village centres are spookily deserted On the promenade we ate outdoors at La Baleine Deshydratee (10 Place du Commando) where it was a bit early to try one of their craft beers but not for the house specialty: breizhflam crepes and galettes (buckwheat pancakes) are on every menu; breizhflam is a sort of hybrid of a pizza and galette: thin From Saint-Nazaire it's just a matter of crossing the mouth of the Loire to reach our campsite Driving over the 3,356m cable-stayed bridge linking both banks has the feel of a gentle rollercoaster - rising and sweeping and a tiny bit terrifying with spectacular views if you can bear to look Saint-Brevin-les-Pins is a uniquely pretty resort for those who love the sea; long sandy beaches are accessed through dune forests of pine planted in the 19th Century to combat coastal erosion peppered with magnificently grand stone villas We spent several afternoons on the beaches here swimming and relaxing and picnicking under the trees They are so vast that it never feels too busy even on sunny summer weekends when the locals come out in force is much livelier and a very different beach experience restaurants and luxury hotels face the promenade that runs for several kilometres along the semicircular sweep of sand We visited one morning as the tide was out and watched as family after well-heeled family took to the sand with shiny buckets to collect cockles a five-star holiday village on a quiet road not far from the beach There's a really nice pool area with all sorts of water slides (both indoor and outdoor) There are well-staffed kids' clubs for all ages and - bonus points from the adults - a proper spa offering massages and luxury beauty treatments We've been to all sorts of campsites over the years but this was our first experience of Sunêlia a group with about 30 high-quality sites across France The focus is on service and that did ring true There are a lot of staff and the place is carefully looked after We stayed in a three-bed Sunelia Confort Corail self-catering chalet in a leafy spot about a three-minute walk from the ice-cream counter - the kids spent a lot of time running back and forth and using up their holiday pocket money An unexpected plus was the quality of some of the evening shows Over the years we've endured some pretty terrible 'entertainment' for the sake of the kids it was quite compelling: mini productions of musicals Peter Pan and modern dance performances that were very polished The entertainment area was quickly packed every night There's a real sense of an appreciation for arts and culture in this part of France - often very simply done there are little surprises around every corner On the beach in Saint-Brevin we stumbled across Le Serpent d'Ocean a massive artwork installed in 2012 by the Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping the skeleton of a giant snake appearing and disappearing with every tide On the streets in the centre of Saint-Nazaire the children climbed on enormous play sculptures; imaginative and ambitious it's hard to see any council in Ireland installing something on this scale - think of the insurance costs has artists' shops and artisan food producers in abundance there is so much art it's hard to know where to start those in charge seem to recognise the dilemma it is a green line painted on the ground that guides visitors through the city streets past all of the most important historic sites Nantes invested in art when the shipbuilding industry declined in the late 1980s and it's a wonderful example of reinvention and innovation Following the green line our kids were delighted to discover unexpected treats all over the city - emerging from a dark little laneway into a square filled with hundreds of big white plaster busts was a hilarious highlight And of course the famous Great Elephant at Les Machines de L'ile is on the route The 12-metre tall mechanical beast is made from 45 tons of wood and steel and sprays water at passers-by as it walks slowly around an old shipyard You can ride on the elephant's back but it's just as fun to walk alongside and dodge the water spray Les Machines de L'ile is a steampunk workshop inspired by the works of Nantes native Jules Verne and the inventor and artist Leonardo da Vinci where exhibits give the backstory of the creations and a sneak peek at works in progress There's nothing simple about these intricate creations but being among all of the cogs and wheels and wood harks back to a simpler time; it's a magical place that will poke your inner child to life again everyone mentions Puy du Fou as a must-visit destination The second most popular theme-park in France There are no rides; instead over 3,000 actors recreate scenes from history in 26 half-hour shows Apparently it is spectacular - but we didn't get to see for ourselves A twisted ankle meant we had to put off our planned visit Installed on the beach at Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in 2012 Le Serpent d'Ocean is the skeleton of a huge snake that reveals itself every time the tide goes out Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping is its creator A good pool area can really make a holiday for kids Sunelia Le Fief has indoor and outdoor pools lots of slides and a play zone with waterfalls * Brittany Ferries Pont-Aven offers the fastest direct ferry crossing from Ireland to France taking just 14 hours and operating to a convenient weekend schedule * Passengers can enjoy an authentic French on-board experience unmatched cruise-style standards and award-winning service and cuisine Facilities include pool and bar areas with panoramic sea views as well as complimentary wi-fi in all public areas * Book before February 11 and save up to 20pc off Brittany Ferries holidays visit brittanyferries.ie or call 021 427 7801 NB: This feature originally appeared in The Sunday Independent Join the Irish Independent WhatsApp channel Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker was a regular target of far-right protests He complained of 'a lack of support from the state' when he stepped down Demonstrators take part in a protest against a reception center for asylum seekers in front of the town hall of Saint-Brevin-Les-Pins let's organize the return of clandestine people deliquents and foreign criminals." FRED TANNEAU / AFP Yannick Morez mayor of Saint-Brevin-les-Pins in western France after being targeted by the far right over plans to move a center for asylum seekers Morez faced death threats and an arson attack on his home His resignation comes as support for the far right swells and mainstream parties seek to channel anti-immigration sentiment in an increasingly tense political environment Morez said late on Wednesday he was stepping down "for personal reasons" − while complaining of "a lack of support from the state." His announcement has prompted responses from the highest levels of French politics French President Emmanuel Macron on Twitter described the attacks against him as "outrageous" and expressed his "solidarity" with Morez and his family and I want to assure the mayor of my full support," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Thursday during a visit to La Reunion She added that she wanted to "protect mayors better (...) intervene sooner to support them to identify their difficulties and back them up better." a seaside town at the mouth of the Loire River near the western city of Nantes has been racked for months by protests against plans to move existing asylum accommodation to a site close to a primary school The town has hosted migrants since the so-called Jungle camp near Calais on France's north coast was dismantled in 2016 Morez said in March that there had "never been the slightest problem" with asylum seekers in the years they had been hosted in his town. But beyond repeated demonstrations organized by far-right party Reconquete led by former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour against the move Morez's home was targeted in an arson attack on March 22 that is the subject of a criminal investigation Parti Socialiste chief Olivier Faure posted on Twitter that "it's shameful that the state did not grasp the scale of what was happening to him and did not back him up It's shameful to continue normalizing the far right." MPs from the far-right politician Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) party did not join other lawmakers in standing to pay their respects to Morez following his resignation on Wednesday whose policies still in large part center on hostility to Islam and immigration Recent surveys suggest its figurehead Le Pen would beat Macron if there were a re-run today of last year's election run-off Macron's ministers are racing with the conservative Les Républicans party to bring new immigration bills before France's Assemblée Nationale lower house metallic sculpture that's known as Le Serpent d'Océan The TikTok clip described the supposed find of the giant snake skeleton on Google Maps as follows: "Somewhere in France we can see something giant you can only see with satellites It's about 30 meters long and bigger than any snake caught before." It ends with a mention of Titanoboa It appeared as the second of three different supposed Google Maps finds presented in this video: It's true that there's a giant snake skeleton off the coast of France that's visible on both Google Maps and Google Earth (Courtesy: @Paucal/Flickr) Le Serpent d'Océan is located in Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, a city located west of Nantes on the west coast of France. It measures 425 feet (130 meters) long According to loirevalley-france.co.uk the work of the Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping emerges on the beach of Mindin," the website published resembling an archaeological excavation and its movement makes it look alive "No climbing." (Courtesy: @groume/Flickr) The giant snake skeleton known as Le Serpent d'Océan can be seen in satellite view on Google Maps In the TikTok clip, the mention of Titanoboa referred to an extinct species of giant snakes. The video briefly showed this picture from Flickr of what appeared to be another sculpture In 2018, the Associated Press interviewed Alex Hastings, a paleontologist who is the paleontology collection curator at the Science Museum of Minnesota He said that Titanoboa was "the largest snake that ever lived." I was lucky enough to be one of the people who can claim at least partial discovery of Titanoboa which is the largest snake that ever lived It was about 42 feet (12.8 meters) long and weighed 1.25 tons and lived 60 million years ago in South America It's the biggest by far in terms of both length and mass On a completely different yet also interesting topic, Hastings was asked if the plot from "Jurassic Park" could ever actually happen "the second that dinosaur blood gets into the mosquito's stomach the digestive acids break up the DNA completely." He also added: "DNA degrades after about 50,000 years and dinosaurs are millions and millions of years old." In sum, no, the TikTok video did not show the discovery of a giant snake skeleton off the coast of France on Google Maps For further reading, in 2015, we reported on another supposed giant snake skeleton that was on display in Australia Jordan Liles is a Senior Reporter who has been with Snopes since 2016 This material may not be reproduced without permission Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com