Advertisement

French court confirms ban on anti-migrants group

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
French court confirms ban on anti-migrants group
Members of the far-right group last June deployed a banner reading 'victims of anti-white racism', during a 'Black Lives Matter' protest against racism and police brutality on Place de la République in Paris. Photo: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP

France's highest administrative court on Monday approved the government's banning of a far-right group, Génération Identitaire, which on several occasions had tried to stop migrants entering the country.

Advertisement

The government's decision to ban the group was "proportionate" to the risk the group posed to public order, it ruled, confirming the government's March 3rd decree.

Génération Identitaire (Generation Identity) had justified its actions by claiming it was contributing to the public debate on immigration and the fight against "Islamist terrorism", the judgement noted.

But in fact it had "for several years propagated ideas ... that tended to justify or encourage discrimination, hatred or violence towards foreigners and the Muslim religion", it added.

Génération Identitaire spokesman Thaïs d'Escufon denounced the ruling as a "political decision".

READ ALSO: France aims to shut down far-right anti-immigrant group

Advertisement

But Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, who published the March decree ordering the group's dissolution, welcomed the ruling in a tweet Monday evening.

The court's position was clear, he wrote: "Géneration Identitaire promotes an ideology inciting hatred and violence."

One of the group's last operations was in January, when about 30 members gathered at the Col du Portillon pass on the border of France and Spain in what they called a surveillance operation to "defend Europe".

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also