Fearing disturbances to public order and anti-Semitic slogans, Laurent Nuñez banned a march “against racism, Islamophobia and for the protection of children”, supported by anti-racist activists, left-wing movements and families of victims of police violence.
What can bring together La France insoumise, Angela Davis and Planned Parenthood? Apparently, a “march against racism, Islamophobia and for the protection of children”, since the party, the activist and the association have, like dozens of other personalities and structures, signed the call for this demonstration. It was scheduled for Sunday April 21, in Paris, between the popular district of Barbès and the Place de la République, where a free concert was then to be held. At the helm: the activist against police violence Amal Bentounsi (whose brother Amine was killed by the police in 2012) and the decolonial activist Yessa Belkhodja, supported during the declaration in the prefecture by the Attac association and the New Anticapitalist Party .
Flea market and match
But, by a decree taken this Thursday, April 18, the prefect of Paris, Laurent Nuñez, banned this demonstration: for material considerations, such as the holding of a flea market on the same day on the Place de la République or the need to employ law enforcement officers to secure the PSG-Olympique Lyonnais match in the evening; and for anticipatory fears. “This march which denounces in particular in its appeal “police crimes” against young people is conducive to attracting components deliberately seeking clashes with the police, creating a real risk of disturbances to public order” , estimates the Paris police headquarters.
In addition, the event focuses on childhood. According to its subtitle, it was organized “in memory of all young victims of police, judicial and prison crimes”. But the call to march bridges the gap with “children of Gaza, mistreated, imprisoned, killed by the thousands”. What pushes the prefecture to write “that this march, also wishing to focus attention on the children of Gaza, is of a nature, given the current tensions in the Middle East […]to carry anti-Semitic slogans within it.
“What is the State doing?”
Last point of concern for the prefecture: the concert, which was to bring together, in addition to Kery James, the rappers Médine and those of the group Sniper. An event “likely to attract, by its free nature, a significant number of spectators”, writes Laurent Nuñez, who considers that “the contradictory procedure did not make it possible to demonstrate that the security of the concert and its surroundings had been taken into account by its organizers in the event of excesses”.
“The ban on our march, like that of the conference by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Rima Hassan this evening in Lilleare the sign […] that a switchover is in progress. It is more vital than ever that all social movement organizations, like all consciences in the country, take stock of this and organize themselves accordingly. The question arises for everyone: do we want to see our children grow up in a police state? ask Amal Bentounsi and Yessa Belkhodja in a press release in reaction to the prefectural decree, which they plan to challenge before administrative justice.
During a press conference on Thursday morning, they clarified that their demonstration was intended to denounce “the racism in general that our children suffer, whether it comes from national education or the police”. At the same time, echoing the revolts in working-class neighborhoods following the death of Nahel Merzouk last summer and the latest tragedies involving clashes among young people, Gabriel Attal spoke about the need for authority among young people, and promised to toughen up the repression of those who attempt to evade it, or to punish their parents. “Of course educating your children is a duty. But when parents have difficulties themselves, how can we help them? What is the State doing to support them? replied Amal Bentounsi when asked about the Prime Minister’s position. And the activist added: “How can we tell our children to love a country where we make people believe that all the ills of society are the fault of Muslims, suburbanites, people of color or single-parent families?”
Updated at 5:42 p.m.: addition of an extract from the press release in reaction to the prefectural decree.
