French politician says he was verbally assaulted by group

JTA

Arnaud Montebourg, a leading Socialist politician, and his partner, television broadcaster Audrey Pulvar, said Wednesday that a group of approximately 15 people called them “Juden” the previous day as they were leaving a restaurant in a high-end western Parisian neighborhood. Neither are Jewish. They said the group also shouted “Le Pen for president,” referring to Marine LePen, leader of the far-right National Front Party, and “France for the French.”

Police are investigating the incident, Reuters reported.

LePen condemned the incident, but said police would have to investigate whether members of the group were truly attached to her party.

Montebourg has been a sharp critic of what he describes as Le Pen’s ties to neo-Nazi groups in Europe.