The Dalaï Lama has arrived.

NANTES - Last friday, City Hall criticized Loire-Atlantique prefecture's demand to remove the tibetain flag that has been floating on the wall of the City Hall since march the 28th.

"It's out of question", said Jean-Marc Ayrault, Deputy-mayor of Nantes. "I'm surprised by such a meanness", he said the Associated Press.

"I was so shocked to receive such a call from the prefecture, the day the olympics start", regretted the Deputy-mayor who doesn't intend to give up. "The prefecture must call the police for help if they want the flag to be removed", he warned.

Ministry of interior must "cancel this instruction", considered Jean-Marc Ayrault. "This situation is becoming ridiculous. Only this can happen when you play on all counts", he said. In his opinion, you must have "a sincere dialogue, you must not think of manipulation and mean politics".

Jean-Marc Ayrault is welcoming the dalaï lama on august the 18th in Nantes. The tibetain spiritual leader will stay in France from august the 12th until the 23rd. He's giving a cycle of conferences in the "Zénith" of Nantes from august the 15th until the 20th this year.

©Associated Press