Call for witnesses: Do you remember, in 1996, the FNLJ (The Front for the Liberation of Garden Gnomes)?

Hello everyone,

I come to you for a matter that dates back 30 years now, the birth of FNLJ in the town of Alençon in Orne.

For the most curious, listen to this Radio France podcast

For the others, I’ll give a quick summary:

In 1996, in Alençon, a city of boredom and calm (my city), students are pissing each other off (classic). They then decide to steal the city’s garden gnomes.

So, the term "want" is improper because in fact it is about them "release" the aptly named FLNJ borrows garden gnomes, then releases them into their natural habitat, namely the forest (of course).

Good players, the garden gnomes leave a note in the victims’ garden which says in substance "I was tired of being stuck here, I ran away into the forest (with a hint of the place).

If I talk about it it is because this non-event had an incredible impact:
– Relay in Orne Hebdo
– Relay in Paris
– Relay in numerous foreign newspapers (Australia, England, Germany)
– Opening of the BBC newspaper
– Hundreds of groups claiming to be FLNJ all over the world
– of the Songs

– Perhaps the cause of the appearance of the traveling dwarf in Amélie Poulain (to be verified)
– Long trials with the little old people of Alençon complaining about the theft

I would like to collect testimonies from this time: people who remember it, people who participated. I would also like to gather lots of information on this subject, I would love to find newspaper articles, old blogs, television news.

The goal: to make a short article and satisfy my curiosity. I was 5 at the time, and all I heard was hearsay. This is one of the rare times that Alençon made the headlines, and I would love to dig into this story.

Helppp