PARIS, February 25. /TASS/. France’s SOS Donbass association has held a rally in support of Russia, where people displayed banners condemning hatred against Russians and expressing solidarity with Russian diplomats after the attack on Russia’s consulate general in Marseille, the association’s head, Vincent Perfetti, told TASS.
"Following the attack on the Russian embassy in Marseille, we launched a pro-Russian poster campaign called Russia Is Not Our Enemy," he said, adding that it is time to "abandon the narrative" about confrontation with Russia. In his words, unlike European countries, Russia has taken no hostile steps. He also stressed that attacks on diplomatic facilities are unacceptable.
He also shared photos of the "Russia Is Not Our Enemy and Europe With Russia" banners featuring a bleeding NATO logo, the Ukrainian flag over the Third Reich flag and swastika, and others. According to Perfetti, these banners were hung around the Tremblay-en-France commune near Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport. Similar actions will be held in Paris and Lyon, he promised.
"I plan to go to Donbass with humanitarian cargoes in early March. When I come back, we will organize a rally against Russophobia in Paris, depending on how France’s foreign policy develops," he said.
The Russian consulate general told TASS earlier that on February 24, unknown individuals threw three objects onto the premises of the diplomatic mission. Two of them detonated. There were no casualties, and no material damage done to the building. The Marseille Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into "damage caused by explosives or incendiary devices."
On the evening of February 24, thanks to CCTV footage, police detained two suspects linked to the attack on the Russian diplomatic mission. The suspects, aged 48 and 59, were apprehended during a pro-Ukrainian rally. According to BFMTV, they have been placed in custody until charges are brought against them.