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Last Tuesday, a 26-year-old man was arrested near Bordeaux, he was planning an attack during the passing of the Olympic flame. The man claimed to be close to the incel movement. What is this movement and why is it worrying?
A few days ago, in Bordeaux, a new attack was apparently foiled in France. With a particularity: Alex G, the 26-year-old man claims to be part of the Incel movement, a movement which advocates the apology of moral and sexual harassment, as well as incitement to rape. And which brings together many followers. But who are these “incels”?
A movement parallel to women’s liberation
From English involuntary celibateincels claim to be “involuntary bachelors”, who only owes their loneliness to “evil”, “slutty” or “unable to love” women.
“It’s a movement that comes from masculinism which was itself built in the 60s and 70s alongside the liberation of women’s voices. Some men saw the opportunity to deconstruct stereotypes, but others found that feminism went too far”, tells us Stéphanie Lamy, researcher, specialist in disinformation and masculinist networks.
The incel movement took shape precisely in the 90s, with the development of communities of “seducers” (“in reality, harassment militias” notes the expert) and whose message was that if you work on yourself, you can multiply your conquests.
“Except that there is a flaw in this reasoning as it creates a hierarchy between those who succeed or not, this inevitably leads to failure.” With a dominant feeling: “There’s no point in improving, the problem is genetic. If genetically I am ugly, then it is up to society to provide genetically superior women.”
“It’s an ideology ready to think, ultimately very guilt-free, as in many radical speeches, which believes that it is up to society to provide them with female bodies” summarizes the expert.
Forums, preferred meeting places for frustrated incels
Perceived as rejected, these unwilling singles generally find themselves on forums and messaging services like Reddit, Discord, 4chan or the site Incels.me (forbidden to women), which alone has 5,000 members, and where they can pour out their hatred of society. This is particularly where they share a certain apology for rape and violence or even advice for attacking a woman.
“This online community is characterized by forums where frustrations and resentments are often exacerbated, leading to a deeply misogynistic and pessimistic worldview. This and the possible consequences that this may generate for some must be taken into account. This outpouring aggressiveness or even violence, highlighted in online groups, gives some people the impression that anything is permitted!” analyzes Amélie Boukhobza, psychologist, for Doctissimo. “Remaining reclusive on the internet is also a symptom: nothing can save them, except a change in society.” continues the researcher.
Good in his body, good in his head!
The use of violence as proof of virility
However, it is not a question of feeling sorry for these unfortunate incels, warns Stéphanie Lamy. Because these men are indeed dangerous. Three mass killings in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom were committed by members of the movement. An attack has just been stopped in France. “The violence is structural within the group, there is a form of hardening. But ultimately, these incels are angry at society, women are accessories, dehumanized in their vision of things. It is a competition between men, driven by hatred of self, of others and of society. confirms the sociologist.
“It is indeed a way of reaffirming a certain form of masculinity or virility, particularly in a context where these individuals feel a loss of status and social power,” underlines Amélie Boukhobza.
A particularly toxic masculinity “and politics”, which we must be aware of. If the number of followers seems stable for several years, the ideology, propaganda and discourse produced are increasingly audible and shared.