the administrative court lifted the prefecture’s ban

The Paris administrative court suspended, on Thursday October 19, the prefectural ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration, already underway on the Place de la République in Paris. This gathering of several thousand people is organized by the CAPJPO Europalestine association and by the New Anticapitalist Party. “The execution of the orders (…) of the prefect of police of October 18 is suspended insofar as they prohibit the planned gathering between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.”writes the court in its order, of which AFP obtained a copy.

“Respect for freedom of demonstration and freedom of expression, which have the character of fundamental freedoms (…) must be reconciled with the constitutional requirement to safeguard public order,” considers the court. Gold, “it does not follow from the instruction, and in particular from the note from the specialized services established for the present demonstration, that the planned gathering would present a particular risk of violence, against other groups or the forces of order”argues the administrative court.

“A serious and manifestly illegal attack on the freedom to demonstrate”

The prefectural orders under attack therefore relate “a serious and manifestly illegal attack on the freedom to demonstrate”concluded the court, ordering their suspension.

This decision comes as the Council of State rejected, on Wednesday, the telegram from the Minister of the Interior, who called for a systematic ban on these gatherings. Five days after the bloody attack perpetrated in Israel by Hamas, the latter had given instructions to the prefects to prohibit the “pro-Palestinian demonstrations, because they are likely to generate disturbances to public order”. The Council of State argued that pro-Palestinian demonstrations could not be systematically banned and that it was up to the prefects alone to assess, “case by case”if there was a local risk of disturbances to public order.