In Rouen, the organizers of a xenophobic evening renounce their event although authorized by the courts

The courts have nevertheless given their approval. The organizers of a xenophobic evening entitled “Ausländer Raus” (“Foreigners Out” in German), which was to be held on Friday, June 28, in the evening in an identity bar in Rouen, have finally announced its cancellation. The courts had been seized in summary proceedings.

“To take into account a certain emotion resulting from the provocative nature of the title of the evening, a title likely to attribute to the members of the association feelings or intentions which are not their own, when this evening had no other aim than to initiate a debate on immigration in France, the association decided on its own initiative to cancel the evening”they write on social networks.

For its part, the Rouen court authorized the event, considering that a ban would “violation of the fundamental freedom of association and assembly”we can read in a press release.

Mayor’s Call

On Thursday, the socialist mayor of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, issued a municipal decree banning this evening organized by the far-right identity bar Le Mora.

The association organizing the evening had subsequently filed an interim relief application with the Rouen administrative court to request the suspension of the municipal decree. The court ruled in their favor late Friday afternoon, according to the decision consulted by Agence France-Presse.

Mr Mayer-Rossignol immediately announced his intention to appeal this decision to the Council of State. “I maintain that a call for xenophobia such as “Foreigners out” (“Ausländer Raus”, German Nazi slogan) has no place in Rouen, nor anywhere else in our Republic”underlines the mayor of Rouen.

Risk of disturbance of public order

” Foreigners out “ is a xenophobic slogan that has gone viral after being hijacked by young people who sing it to the techno tune of Love alwaysby DJ Gigi D’Agostino, sometimes embellished with Nazi salutes, as we can see in certain videos.

The Seine-Maritime prefect had banned all demonstrations in the area around the bar located on a pedestrian street in the city centre from 5pm on Friday to 4am on Saturday. “Risks of disturbances to public order and clashes between antagonistic demonstrators on public roads have been identified”had estimated the prefect, whose order is not affected by the decision of the administrative court.

A demonstration calling for opposition to “the racist and anti-foreigners evening organized by the bar Le Mora” was planned for the end of the day, outside the area covered by the prefectural ban.