1967 Epee Duel Deffere vs. Ribiere

Narration is in French. This is newsreel footage of one of the last (if not THE last) epee duels to first blood in France. The duel was in 1967 between Gaston Deffere, Mayor of Marseille and Rene Ribiere. Defferre was a participant in the last duel in France that took place in 1967 when Defferre insulted René Ribière at the French parliament and was subsequently challenged to a duel fought with swords. Defferre yelled ‘Taisez-vous, abruti!‘ (‘Shut up, stupid!’) at Ribière following an argument in the French National Assembly. Ribière demanded an apology, Defferre refused, so Ribière demanded satisfaction by duel. René Ribière lost the duel, having been wounded twice. He escaped relatively uninjured, however.