Is the story about Zhirinovsky throwing dirt at Jewish students true?

A photo of a Russian politician who allegedly got into a fight with students in France has been circulating on social networks for several years. We have verified the accuracy of such publications.

A photograph of Vladimir Zhirinovsky in a trench coat and black cap, throwing dirt towards the photographer from behind a wrought-iron fence, has been published on social networks for many years. He can be found in Facebook, X, Instagram, "VKontakte", Telegram and on entertainment sites. The caption to the photo is usually about the same: “Zhirinovsky, from behind the fence of the Russian consulate in Strasbourg, throws earth and stones at Jewish students who accused him of anti-Semitism.” The authors of the posts differ only in the dating: some write that this happened in 1993, others - what in 1994.

The headquarters of the Council of Europe is located in Strasbourg. Russia became a member of this organization only in 1996, but since 1992 she has had the status of a special guest of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). In 1993, the Russian delegation visited the PACE session, where discussed entry of the Russian Federation into the organization, but Zhirinovsky did not go to Strasbourg - he was not a member Supreme Council of the RSFSR. After the dissolution of the Supreme Council, the politician was elected deputy State Duma of the Russian Federation and already in this status went to the PACE session in April 1994.

Leader of the LDPR at that time was known in the West as odious politician with nationalist views. He supported first President of the Republika Srpska Radovan Karadzic (who was later found guilty of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and sentenced first to 40 years in prison, and later to life imprisonment), threatened if he comes to power, “destroy” Germany, claimed, that the Zionists were planning to kill him (because he refused to take $100 million from them in exchange for renouncing political activities) and predicted that as a result, “Jews will be burned out everywhere - in Germany, Serbia, and Russia.” In 1993, Zhirinovsky released book “The Last Throw to the South”, in which he stated that France needed to get rid of American and Zionist influence, otherwise Paris would become an Arab city by 2008. 

At the beginning of 1994, the politician was expelled from Bulgaria for insulting the president and was refused upon entry into Germany. Because of these scandals, Zhirinovsky was given special visa: upon arrival in France, he had to immediately head to Strasbourg and leave the country immediately after the end of the event. These measures offended the deputy, and before leaving he stated press that he would never return to this country again (nevertheless, after that he been there there more than once, including how representative Russia in PACE).

Clashes with protesters happened April 11, after Zhirinovsky’s speech at the Council of Europe. How writes Le Monde, his speech lasted 7 minutes. Politician statedthat Russia responded to hit NATO in the Bosnian city of Gorazde should begin bombing the Italian bases of the North Atlantic Alliance, and also spoke out against Russia’s entry into the Council of Europe, since “Russia has more rights and freedoms than you have in Europe.” After the speech, Zhirinovsky went to the residence of the Russian consul, where the delegation was staying. By this time, about a hundred people had already gathered at the gates of the residence with posters “Hitler, [founder of the French right-wing National Front party Jean-Marie] Le Pen, Zhirinovsky: one for all and all for one” and “Zhirinovsky = 0% democracy, 100% xenophobia.” The politician got into an altercation with the protesters and, finally, as he writes Le Monde, “pulled plants out of the ground and threw them at the demonstrators. Moreover, he threatened them to “get out your nuclear pistol.” 

"Kommersant" wrote: “The tour turned out to be scandalous enough to amuse newspaper readers, and a photograph taken in Strasbourg, in which Mr. Zhirinovsky throws some kind of plant into the crowd, went around the whole world.” The text of Kommersant most likely refers not to the photograph that went viral on Russian-language social networks, but to another, taken the same day from a different angle by a photographer from France Press. It was not possible to find out who was the author of the viral image, but it is also available on the Internet. video incident.

Thus, the viral photo actually shows Zhirinovsky throwing earth and uprooted plants at protesting Jewish students. This happened on April 11, 1994 in Strasbourg.

Cover photo: social networks

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