Tuesday, the prefect of the North took a ban order of a demonstration organized in Lille, this Wednesday, in “tribute to Thomas, murdered in Crépol during a village festival”. This gathering was the subject, last Friday, of an official request to the prefecture by three organizers, Alaric Py, activist of Generation Z, Mathéo Tessa, elected official of the right-wing student union UNI, and Nathan Trotin, leader of the movement far-right La Cocarde Lille. The call had also been relayed numerous times on social networks by the local far right.
A context of ultra-right violence
On Saturday, an event of the same type was organized in Romans-sur-Isère by activists and sympathizers of the extreme right or the identity movement. A demonstration which resulted in the arrest and conviction of six people, in particular for their “participation in a group formed with a view to preparing violence”, “violence against persons holding public authority” and “damage volunteers”. This is one of the contextual arguments put forward by the prefect of the North to ban the demonstration planned in Lille this Wednesday evening.
In addition, and apart from the fact that the location of the gathering is located in the city center, right in the middle of the Christmas installations, the State representative fears from the demonstrators “messages inciting violence, even to hatred.” The prefect also assures that a counter-demonstration, organized by the far left, could lead to clashes between these “antagonistic” groups. Without forgetting the traditional demonstration of the committee of undocumented immigrants 59, organized every Wednesday evening for many years in the city center of Lille.