François Piquemal: a humanist MP unjustly imprisoned
This photograph, signed by photojournalist Rémi Benoît , was taken during the first municipal campaign meeting of François Piquemal , planned for March 2026.
We discover the Toulouse MP surrounded by his guests, in a moment of exchange and fraternity.
François offers meaningful United Souls t-shirts : to Ada Colau , the first female mayor of Barcelona, a Mahmoud Darwich , Palestinian poet and symbol of resistance through words; to his assistant, a Patrice Lumumba , martyr of African independence.
Two creations by Toulouse artist Marie-Claire Laffaire , which embody solidarity between struggles, from yesterday to today.
A humanitarian act, a political imprisonment
Today, François Piquemal is unjustly imprisoned in the jails of the Israeli colonial state, alongside other comrades:
Emma Fourreau, Rima Hassan, Marie Mesmeur , as well as Toulouse residents Cédric Caubère and Khaled Benboutrif , with the entire humanitarian crew of the Global Sumud Flotilla and 38 French people on board .
Their crime?
Having wanted to uphold international law and break the illegal blockade that is killing the children of Palestine.
These women and men are not provocateurs: they are humanitarians , elected representatives of the French Republic , citizens of the world acting for peace, justice and human dignity.
We have learned from the French consulate in Israel that François Piquemal has started a hunger strike to protest his arbitrary detention and the inaction of the French government.
A profoundly humanist commitment
Like thousands of humanists in France and around the world, United Souls expresses its solidarity with François Piquemal—a deeply anti-racist, anti-colonialist politician who remained faithful to his convictions.
His actions are in line with the figures he admires and whose faces he sometimes wears on his clothes: Fanon, Lumumba, Sankara, Darwich .
These figures remind us that human dignity is not negotiable and that solidarity has no borders.
Since 1948, the Palestinian people have endured a systematic dispossession of their lands and rights , under the complicit gaze of slave-owning, colonialist and inherently racist powers.
In this context, François Piquemal's act is not a challenge, but an act of humanity .
A lucid heir to French colonial history
Beyond the MP, there is the man.
Grandson of servants of the French colonial empire in Chad , François Piquemal chose to break with this heritage to embark on the path of justice, fraternity and reconciliation.
Unlike so many others, he doesn't look away.
He stands on the side of oppressed peoples, faithful to this simple idea: words have no value unless they are translated into actions.
The struggle continues
His arrest reminds us that defending human rights remains a struggle.
But in times of trial, we recognize men of conviction .
Toulouse, a city of struggles and memories, will remember the man who carried the voice of the voiceless to the waters of Gaza.
Citizen mobilization
Call on the French authorities now, who are remaining silent in the face of this injustice:
Call them:
- Élysée: 01 42 92 81 00
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: 01 43 17 53 53
Write to them:
Sign the petition to suspend the Toulouse-Tel Aviv twinning!
Every voice counts.
Every call, every email, every share helps save lives.
Courage to you, comrade.
You are not alone.
Awakened consciences support you, and the fight continues. ✊🏿 ✊🏿