French Prime Minister Jean Castex will be receiving an influx of underwear this week, as closed down shops are using the shipments to highlight the struggles of small businesses during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
The lingerie missives are coming from owners of small clothing shops across France, who were required by the government to stay closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The lockdown has exceptions for essential businesses, and the underwear sellers say they definitely should be on the list.
Those taking part belong to the group Action Culottée (Cheeky Action), which has a Facebook page where business owners have posted their letters and photos of underwear before sending them off to the mailroom at Matignon.
One shop owner sent two separate pairs of underwear, writing a message on both: “I am essential.”
© Actioncolottee (Facebook)
© Actionculottee (Facebook)
A letter from the group argues that all commerce is essential no matter what the government dictates, including the selling of knickers.
“You will find enclosed with this letter an element of daily life considered non-essential by your government: knickers,” the group’s form letter reads.
“Isn’t it a question of hygiene and protection?” they ask.
“Florists, booksellers, hairdressers and even record stores have been designated ‘essential’ businesses. But what about panties? Aren’t they a matter of hygiene and protection?” the group said in a press release.
The group says it hopes its mailing effort will “alert people to the very critical situation experienced by hundreds of lingerie shops across the whole of France.”
French Health Minister Olivier Véran said this week non-essential businesses could start reopening soon, if they sit in a low-risk area for Covid-19.
“I’m open to the idea of a territory by territory approach as we lift the rules – as I was when we put them in place,” he said, adding that pandemic restrictions will begin lifting in “mid-May.”
While some areas remain heavily affected by Covid-19, others have seen cases drop. On a national level, the health minister said there has been a slight decrease in the number of daily cases in the last week, with the figure dropping from 40,000 per day to 33,000.
He warned, however, that the decrease is “fragile” and “not yet fast or clear enough.”
“We must continue our efforts,” he said.
PM Castex should probably be glad that this particular campaign was not organized by farmers, who are known to regularly vent their anger over policies by dumping milk, veggies and even manure outside (and sometimes inside) the offices that they are unhappy with.
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