The gathering at the call of a small ultra-right group in tribute to the young Thomas killed during a village festival in the Drôme brought together around 200 people on Friday evening, December 1, at Place du Panthéon, in Paris, where he could be held after the suspension of the prefectural ban order.
Some 200 people were present according to the Les Natifs association, which organized the gathering. In addition to speaking out, the demonstrators chanted slogans such as “justice for Thomas”, this 16-year-old boy fatally attacked in Romans-sur-Isère, and “French, wake up, you are at home here”, under high police surveillance, noted a journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP). Among the demonstrators was Jean-Yves Le Gallou, former MEP and former member of the National Front (FN, ex-RN).
The Paris police prefect, Laurent Nuñez, announced Wednesday evening his decision to ban this gathering, likely to generate disturbances to public order due to “the comments made which are remarks of incitement to hatred and violence “.
The administrative court suspended the prefectural decree on Friday evening, a few minutes before it was issued, on the grounds that it was a “serious attack on the freedom to demonstrate”.
“Denounce legal laxity”
Questioned by AFP, the spokesperson for the Natives, Antoine, who did not wish to give his last name, assured that the aim of the demonstration was “to bring together people who were shocked” by the death of Thomas “and denounce the legal laxity” which does not make it possible to “dissuade the aggressors from doing it again”.
The dozens of hooded activists from the identity movement who met on Saturday evening in Romans-sur-Isère to “fight” with young people from the Monnaie district, from which some of the people involved in Thomas’ death allegedly came , “it is, according to the spokesperson, the expression of anger, but it is not the right one.” The gathering in Paris dispersed shortly after 8 p.m., noted the AFP journalist.
Earlier in the day, the administrative court had considered that a “general ban on demonstrations” was not currently justified, even in the presence of risks of “major disturbances to public order”. “On the one hand, the judges of the summary proceedings consider that the risk that the holding of the declared demonstration will undermine respect for the dignity of the human person and that criminal offenses will be committed does not appear sufficient to justify the ban imposed. by the prefect of police”, develops the press release published by the administrative court.
The latter also added that “it has not been established that the police headquarters would not be able to ensure the maintenance of public order”. The court recalled that only 1,000 demonstrators were expected, monitored by at least 250 members of the police, aided by the possible use of a drone.
“Renewal of ultra-right rallies”
Since the death of Thomas, 16, stabbed at the end of a village ball in Crépol (Drôme), a tragedy for which nine young people were indicted, calls to demonstrate in France from ultra-right groups have multiplied on social networks.
Monday evening, eight people were also arrested, suspected of having participated in an undeclared procession in the city center of Lyon. In Paris, six hooligans affiliated with the ultra-right, including four “S files”, were arrested Monday evening during a gathering of Paris Saint-Germain supporters.
“There is a resurgence of ultra-right rallies also in Paris. We are extremely attentive,” insisted the prefect. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced Tuesday that he was requesting the dissolution of three small ultra-right groups, including the Martel Division.