An investigation has been opened in La Flèche, Sarthe, France, following the discovery of neo-Nazi tags. Black paint markings featuring swastikas and Celtic crosses were found in four locations, including in front of the town hall and near the D’Estournelle de Constant public high school.
There is a discrepancy regarding the timing of the discovery, with reports varying between Monday, August 3, and Monday, August 4, 2026.
The Le Mans prosecutor's office is overseeing the investigation, which was assigned to the La Flèche gendarmerie brigade after a report from the municipal police.
What is all the more abject is that symbolic places were targeted.
Deputy prosecutor of Le Mans Marie-Agnès Joly stated the investigation is a flagrant offense investigation into charges of degradation or deterioration of property belonging to others committed in a group based on race, ethnicity, nation, or religion.
Mayor Romain Lemoigne (RN) condemned the acts on social media, describing them as having a 'neo-Nazi, fascist and anti-Semitic' character. He stated there were approximately ten tags in total and confirmed that all markings had been erased.
La Flèche, the second largest city in the Sarthe department, was won by the Rassemblement National (RN) during the municipal elections in March 2026, ending a period of leadership by the Socialist Party that had lasted since 1989. The city is the first municipality in the Pays de la Loire region to be led by the RN.
The municipality had experienced similar types of vandalism in April 2025, prior to the current mayor's election.
