Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar announced that White individuals may attend meetings on racism, but must remain quiet.
Her statement received backlash, as many were outraged at her reluctance to include anyone other than Blacks in the meetings.
Former French prime minister Manuel Valls responded to the claim by asking, "“Do you have to be Jewish to talk about antisemitism?”
He added that the logic Pulvar used just "justifies the victim" and "leads to disaster."
Valls’s argument, along with that of others during a meeting of politicians last month, as reported by The Daily Mail, is that the exclusion of certain groups in the discussion of racism causes its own discrimination and does not help raise awareness or progress equality.
Pulvar, however, said she felt that Blacks who experienced racism should have a place to discuss their experiences among themselves.