Protest Echoes Former President’s Own Words
Two feminist activists were arrested in Paris on Wednesday afternoon after disrupting a book signing by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The protesters, identified as members of the Femen group, chanted “casse toi pauv’ con!” (“get lost, you poor jerk!”)—a direct reference to the insult Sarkozy famously hurled at a visitor who refused to shake his hand at the 2008 Paris Agricultural Show.
Event Details and Police Response
The incident occurred at a bookstore in Paris’s 16th arrondissement where Sarkozy was signing copies of his newly released memoir, “Le Journal d’un prisonnier” (“The Diary of a Prisoner”). Police intervened to remove the activists from the vicinity. Published by Fayard, the book details Sarkozy’s three-week detention at La Santé prison in late 2024 following his conviction in the Libyan financing case.
Context of the Protest
The protest represents a symbolic turning of Sarkozy’s own words against him. The 2008 incident, captured on video and widely disseminated, became one of the defining moments of his presidency. The activists’ choice of slogan highlights ongoing political tensions and critiques of the former head of state as he promotes his account of his recent legal troubles and imprisonment.
