The town hall of Lille and the prefecture of the North succeeded Friday, February 24 to prevent the holding of an evening deemed racist at La Citadelle, headquarters of the local ultra-right, despite the challenges of the organizers, who denounce “a liberticidal drift”. This controversial evening, dubbed “Let them return to Africa” – in reference to remarks by deputy RN Grégoire de Fournas sanctioned with fifteen days of exclusion – and widely promoted on social networks, was to be held Friday evening in the premises of this establishment which presents itself as a “patriot bar” and an “house of identity”.
But dozens of police blocked access to the street in the evening, under a prefectural decree of February 15, confirmed Friday by the administrative justice, and a second decree taken during the day by the town hall. “What these gentlemen from the prefecture are doing is totally forbidden (…). They use public force in a completely illegal way”denounced on the spot the president of La Citadelle, Aurélien Verhassel, who hoped to maintain his evening despite his ban and the order of the administrative court.
“Serious risk of clashes”
In the eyes of justice, the evening in the premises of La Citadelle would have ended in such a way ” inevitable “ on the public highway, given the expected high attendance. However, the organization at the same time of a counter-demonstration a stone’s throw from the premises, on the Grand-Place, would have caused “a serious risk of clashes”, writes the court. To the cries of “The Citadel on fire, the fachos in the middle”about 200 people were finally present at this demonstration, which took place smoothly, noted a journalist from Agence France-Presse.
The risk of disturbing public order is the only argument used by the court to validate the prefecture’s banning order, requested on February 9 by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin. The incentive “to racial hatred”, also put forward by the prefect, was not accepted by the court. In view of this reason alone, Aurélien Verhassel, had affirmed to be able to maintain his evening, saying that he could legally accommodate “30 to 40 people” expected in its premises, while calling on any sympathizers not to come in support on the public highway.
The town hall of Lille therefore issued its own ban on Friday, in the wake of the court order, to ensure that the evening could not be held inside the establishment itself. The prefect “had the opportunity to prohibit the meeting inside and outside the premises, he did not do so”regretted the mayor of Lille, Martine Aubry, during a press briefing.
” Abuse of power “
On the other side of this case, the city suffered a setback before the administrative justice, which on Friday suspended the execution of its decree aimed at closing La Citadelle, taken ” with immediate effect “ on February 14, shortly after the announcement of the controversial evening. The doors of La Citadelle, closed since that day, were then able to reopen. But the town hall will appeal, said Mme Aubrey.
During the hearing before the administrative court on February 22, the representatives of La Citadelle denounced a ” abuse of power “ on the part of the town hall, which justified the closure of the premises by the fact that it is, according to it, an establishment open to the public (ERP) not declared as such. If the justice confirms in its order the qualification of ERP, it considers that the city should have “invite the association to regularize its situation and carry out checks” before taking his order.
In this case, the Lille prosecutor’s office opened an investigation on February 13 for “public provocation to hatred or violence because of origin, ethnicity or race”.