Mayor bans zombie march
A fancy-dress Halloween parade would have been too shocking, claims ex-minister Laurent Wauquiez
A “ZOMBIE March” for Halloween has been banned in the town of Le Puy-en-Velay to avoid shocking its residents.
The mayor and MP, former UMP minister Laurent Wauquiez, refused permission for the parade, saying: “All Saints is a time dedicated to families and their deceased relatives and this kind of event would shock the citizens.”
The march would have involved people in zombie fancy dress parading through the town to mark Halloween – though it was set for November 4 – Sunday – not in fact on Halloween, tomorrow.
Halloween is the day before the All Saints’ Day (Toussaint) bank holiday, and the following All Souls’ Day (la Fête des Morts) when masses for the dead are held and it is traditional to visit family graves.
The web magazine Zombie Parade, which lists similar events around France, posted a message supporting the organisers. “What are the town councillors really afraid of? Of young people? The same young people who, whether they’re dressed as zombies or in baseball caps, scare little old ladies? Let’s be serious.”
Le Puy-en-Velay, in the Auvergne, is the seat of a Catholic bishopric and has been a pilgrimage centre, with a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, since the sixth century. Last year Nicolas Sarkozy made a speech there celebrating the “Catholic roots” of France.
Photo:Screenshot from YouTube video by Grégory Chassain / Treyamai Vidéo
