The Northern prefecture bans the new conference by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Rima Hassan on Palestine in Lille

A second ban. Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s new conference on the Middle East, scheduled for Thursday April 18 in the evening in a room in Lille, has been banned by the Northern prefecture, announces La France insoumise in a press release. A first conference, scheduled for Thursday at the University of Lille, was canceled by the establishment on Wednesday.

The prefectural decree cites three reasons: the risks of disturbing public order, the exceptional mobilization of internal security forces, in particular due to the European Cup match being held at the same time at the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, as well as that the regulations relating to establishments open to the public (the size of the room retained by LFI can only accommodate 328 people).

Consequently, LFI says it has filed with the prefecture an appointment for a public gathering at the same time in the street “with a speech by Jean-Luc Mélenchon against censorship and for peace”. The party denounces a “intolerable relentlessness” And “an extremely serious precedent for our democracy.”