SOS Racisme's Dominique Sopo says Zemmour may have blood on his conscience
Dominique SopoPresident of SOS Racisme, interviewed on RTL Matin
On RTL the morning after Zemmour's announcement, Sopo calls his candidacy a republican problem, says Zemmour was convicted for remarks of incredible violence, including at the 2019 Convention de la droite, and argues that remarks portraying Black people, Arabs, Muslims and foreigners as existential dangers give license to serious violence.
“These remarks give license to extremely serious acts. ... I am not saying that Éric Zemmour has blood on his hands: I am saying that he may have it on his conscience, if he has one (Translated from French. Original: Ces propos autorisent des passages à l'acte extrêmement graves. ... Je ne dis pas qu'Éric Zemmour a du sang sur les mains : je dis qu'il en a peut-être sur la conscience, si tant est qu'il en ait une)”
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Éric Zemmour calls his convictions for racial insult and incitement to hatred opinion offenses; TF1 anchor replies that racism is not an opinion
On November 10, 2026, Éric Zemmour, president of the far-right party Reconquête, announced his second presidential run on TF1's evening news. Anchor Gilles Bouleau told him he had been definitively convicted four times since 2022 for offenses with a racial dimension, including racist insult and incitement to hatred, and asked how he could reconcile the French on that basis. Zemmour said he was the victim of judicial harassment, citing about 40 proceedings and 30 acquittals in 10 years, and said he had committed an opinion offense. Bouleau replied that racism is not an opinion. Zemmour answered that his remarks were not racism and that judges were applying a law that lets them restrict free expression, a law he said he would abolish as president. Bouleau then cited a remark for which Zemmour was convicted, that Muslims consider jihadists to be good Muslims; Zemmour replied that jihad is in the Quran and that the remark has nothing racist about it. Communist candidate Fabien Roussel, posting as Zemmour announced his run, called for politicians convicted of racism to be made ineligible. The next morning, SOS Racisme president Dominique Sopo said on RTL that Zemmour's candidacy poses a republican problem.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
RTL's post on X with a video excerpt of Dominique Sopo's November 11 interview on RTL Matin about Zemmour's candidacy and convictions.
Reporting
About this source
RTL reports, in French, Dominique Sopo's interview on RTL Matin the morning after Zemmour's announcement, including his comments on Zemmour's convictions, on ineligibility for people convicted of racist remarks and on the racist attack in Trappes.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Asked whether Zemmour's candidacy has its place or poses a republican problem, Sopo says it is a republican problem and calls for allowing judges to impose ineligibility on people convicted of racist remarks. He cites the racist attack in Trappes and Zemmour's description of the October 17 rioters, and says that remarks presenting categories of the population as existential dangers invite their elimination.
After the quotation
In the same interview, Sopo rejects Marine Le Pen's statement to CBS that France is the least racist country in the world, saying it denies documented racial discrimination.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the remarks for which French courts have definitively convicted Éric Zemmour of racial insult and incitement to hatred. Sopo describes the remarks behind Zemmour's convictions, including his 2019 Convention de la droite speech, as very racist and incredibly violent, and says such remarks give license to serious acts of violence, which condemns them.
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- People and groups discussed
- Éric Zemmour
More from this case
Read the full caseFabien Roussel says politicians convicted of racism should be ineligible as Zemmour runs
“Éric Zemmour wants to preside over the Republic after being convicted several times for racist remarks. I have been saying it for a long time: politicians convicted of racism should be made ineligible. (Translated from French. Original: Éric Zemmour veut présider la République après avoir été condamné à plusieurs reprises pour propos racistes. Je le dis depuis longtemps : les responsables politiques condamnés pour racisme devraient être rendus inéligibles.)”Read statement
TF1 anchor Gilles Bouleau tells Zemmour that racism is not an opinion
“It is the application of the law ... you committed punishable offenses ... Racism is not an opinion. (Translated from French. Original: C'est l'application du droit ... vous avez commis des délits répréhensibles ... Le racisme n'est pas une opinion.)”Read statement
Zemmour says his convicted remarks are not racism and vows to abolish the law used against him
“I am the victim of judicial harassment ... This is not racism, it has nothing to do with it. That is how judges interpret a freedom-killing law that I will abolish if I am president, because it allows judges to ban freedom of expression (Translated from French. Original: Je suis victime d'un harcèlement judiciaire ... Ce n'est pas du racisme, ça n'a rien à voir. Les juges interprètent ainsi une loi liberticide que j'abolirai si je suis président, parce que ça permet aux juges d'interdire la liberté d'expression)”Read statement
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- SOS Racisme's Dominique Sopo says Zemmour may have blood on his conscience
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The Dispute Index. "SOS Racisme's Dominique Sopo says Zemmour may have blood on his conscience". First published: 2026-11-12. Last updated: 2026-11-12. https://disputeindex.com/events/8666-on-rtl-the-morning-after-zemmour-s-announcement