Particle.news

Lawmaker Seeks Prosecutor Review After Altered Rouen Blazon Magnets Pulled

A far-right MP’s referral underscores how a souvenir dispute over a city emblem can quickly draw legal scrutiny.

Overview

  • RN deputy Robert Le Bourgeois said he referred the case to the public prosecutor after the altered magnet came to light and he pressed for an explanation of how it happened.
  • Magnets on sale in a Rouen tobacco shop showed the city’s blazon with a crescent in place of a fleur-de-lys, a decapitated paschal lamb, and a broken cross.
  • The UNI student union condemned the items as a “profanation” of local heritage and called for their permanent withdrawal and a response from City Hall.
  • The printing company apologized and said the design came from an old internal file likely produced by a trainee, and it is now auditing its visual archives.
  • The company said the magnets were removed from sale and will be destroyed, reported supplying only one Rouen retailer, and noted no firm municipal action has been reported.