Lørdagens demonstration ved Calais havde en prominent gæstetaler. Christian Piquemal, en firestjerne general, der i 1990’erne stod i spidsen for Fremmedlegionen. Demonstrationen var uanmeldt, og den 75-årige general blev anholdt af politiet.

Flere detaljer hos Gates of Vienna – French Four-Star General, Just Before His Arrest: ‘France is Dying’.

“As reported in last night’s news feed, yesterday’s French PEGIDA demonstration in Calais was banned by the government out of fear that it would provoke violence. But it went ahead anyway, and a retired army general was arrested for participating in it.

But this wasn’t just any general — this was General Christian Piquemal, the former commander of the Foreign Legion. Immediately before his arrest, Gen. Piquemal gave an interview to ‘Boulevard Voltaire’, a French online journal. …

Today we have come as patriotic citizens to defend the grandeur and identity of France, because we consider her, especially in Calais, threatened. And our presence here as patriotic citizens is perfectly justified. The ban issued by the State is perfectly scandalous because we had given a guaranty, we are men of honour, that there would be no provocation, no disorder nor any (troublemakers?). …

France is dying, France is dying, this is scandalous. And we will do everything for France to be reborn. Because Eternal France has been a beacon to the world, and so she must remain. So, today it’s only the start. They are in the majority now, but they don’t even know what they are defending.

If I were in their ranks, I would be ashamed to do what they are doing, because they are soldiers supposed to serve the Republic, and they do this work, hit citizens who came to defend the grandeur of their country, to forbid more than two with our three-colour flag, a flag which has known blood, tears, heroism, that was a free France, today it’s practically, we can say it, scandalously, it’s a dictatorship. That is a dictatorship and that is not acceptable.

So, the people are sovereign in a democracy and the power of the people is more important than political power. And the decision which has been taken is unjust, scandalous…”