The Foisonnantes, described as “evolutionary meetings” by the organization, are back for the second edition on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 October, in several halls and municipal spaces in Sisteron. An event with the central theme: youth and in particular “his place in society, his concerns, his health, his education, his questions and his dreams“, we can read on the Foisonnantes website…
The program for these two days includes conferences, round tables and two concerts. An event like dozens of others, organized all over the country. But here’s the thing, the Foisonnantes have the particularity of blowing an almost unprecedented wind of protest from activists – mainly from the left – who denounce in particular the presence of certain controversial speakers, close, according to them, “from the extreme right” or conspiracy theories.
“Friendly organizers and speakers”
Last year, already, for the first edition of the Foisonnantes in Mées, the casting of speakers had raised many questions. Marseille doctor Louis Fouché, known for his positions against the vaccine and the wearing of masks during the Covid-19 pandemic and initiator of the group “Réinfo Covid” was present. As were Professor Christian Perronne and Lucie Mandeville who, according to France Interwould respectively be a “star of covido-skeptics” and a “former psychologist adept at conspiracy theories, sometimes bordering on anti-Semitism“.
Despite everything, the event had seen a boom with, “more than 3,000 people” according to the organizers. And the fears expressed could not really be observed by the few media present for the event. Journalist at ProvenceRaphael Coiffier described in our columns: “The festival looks more like a colorful Woodstock than a blue, white and red RN meeting.“Same feeling for our colleagues from Mistral Frequencywho write on their website: “We met organizers, speakers, volunteers and of course an extremely friendly audience, in a peaceful, informative and festive atmosphere…“
“The problem of the extreme right”
The fact remains that, a year later, the partially modified casting for the second edition is also under fire from critics. If Louis Fouché will not be there, the Action antifouchiste collective – “pun of contraction between antifascist and Louis Fouché“as Nicolas, one of the most active members, points out – he investigated the profile of the announced speakers.”The problem of the extreme right comes up a lot“, notes the activist. Just like links, according to him, with the Réinfo Covid collective or even anthroposophy,”philosophical and spiritual movement created at the beginning of the 20th century by Rudolf Steiner“, according to Robert.
