five far-right and ultra-right gatherings banned on Saturday and Sunday

The police prefecture prohibits five rallies organized by the far right planned for the weekend of May 13 and 14 in Paris, it indicates in several decrees published on Friday May 12. It is a symposium and four events. A little earlier in the week, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin had asked the prefects to ban all demonstrations of the ultra-right, after the controversial holding of a rally on Saturday May 6 in the streets of Paris.

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The symposium organized by Action française on Saturday May 13 at the Espace Charenton in Paris is notably prohibited, noted on Friday a journalist from franceinfo present at the headquarters of the far-right organization. Three police officers came to deliver the decree by hand on Friday May 12 to the members of the organization which had gathered the press for the occasion. In his decree, the prefect of police of Paris considers that this conference entitled “France in danger” “is part of a particularly tense context following the controversy sparked by the demonstration organized in Paris by the May 9 Committee on Saturday May 6”. Laurent Nunez refers to these 600 ultra-right activists, the majority of whom had their faces hidden, who were able to demonstrate in Paris a week ago. This caused a controversy.

Risks of “serious disturbances to public order”

The prefect of police thus fears “an escalation of initiatives leading to violence and serious disturbances to public order”. He points out that several organizations “close to the radical left” called to gather around the Espace Charenton on Saturday, where the Action Française conference is to take place. The prefect of police also affirms that the “themes that will be addressed during this colloquium” of French Action “are likely to generate statements likely to call into question the principles enshrined in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”.

A demonstration of Action Française, scheduled for Sunday, May 14, Place de l’Opéra Garnier from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., is also prohibited. Action Française has announced its intention to defend itself legally and has sent two summary freedoms to the administrative court: one on each of these events this weekend. The administrative court told franceinfo to have received them well.

The Paris police headquarters has also decided to ban the demonstration organized by the “Place d’armes” association against the “downgrading of France” on Saturday at Place Denfert-Rochereau from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. The static gathering organized by the association “Les Nationalistes” for the feast of Joan of Arc on Sunday at Place de Rivoli from 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. is also prohibited. Finally, the Paris police prefecture prohibits a static gathering declared by the association “Penser la France” also planned for the feast of Joan of Arc and the feast of patriotism, from 6:45 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. place Saint-Augustin.