The Lion of Angers. The ambient unease surrounding the resumption of the Café des sports

Published: 8:16 a.m. – Modified: 8:38 a.m. by Alexis Vellayoudom

The uneasiness continues around the Lion d’Angers Sports Café. During the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, the building was tagged with the inscription “Facho outside”. Proof that the takeover of this bar in the city center, rue du Général Leclerc, by Louis Guimon, former member of the far-right Angevin association L’Alvarium, whose association was dissolved by the government in 2021 for “incitement to hatred and involvement in acts of violence“, still causes a stir. Even if he says today that he no longer has any links with the association, a collective of residents, called Bien Vivre Ensemble in Lion-d’Angers, fears that the place will serve as a meeting place for local identity activists. The municipality spoke with palpable embarrassment.

“If there should be a disturbance of public order, I will not hesitate to put an end to it”

We had to break the silence, even if it meant doing “a bit of tongue in cheek”in the words of the mayor. In a surprisingly short press conference, Mayor Etienne Glémot took refuge behind the facts and the law. While recalling that a request to open an Establishment open to the public (ERP) had been submitted, the Lions councilor and his elected officials, usually at ease in this type of exercise, gave the impression of walking on eggs. “The policy pursued by the City is the opposite of the ideas promoted by the former Alvarium. The Lion-d’Angers must not be linked to extremist and illegal values“, they clarified. Etienne Glémot explained that the city was vigilant: “I did not know about Alvarium I, but I obviously read what it is and as it was illegal, obviously, the people who had the authority to control this legality took their responsibility, the Minister of ‘Interior in this case. It is clear that if he were to have an Alvarium II, he would obviously be arrested. Today, I have no echo on such a subject at Lion-d’Angers. There is a fear among some, but today, we have no external sign on such a subject which comes up to us in daily life. This vigilance is important, so that we can remain calm and that everything goes well“.

Credit : Marie Chevillard

The mayor also recalls thatit is a private place, with the legislation that corresponds : “we are a country of freedom, freedom of expression, of the press, but also of associations, freedom of commerce. It is in all these freedoms that the city intervenes. People tell us “yes, during the display , it was tense, etc.” That’s why I’m very careful. For me, it’s the beginning of roughness. If he causes a disturbance to public order, I will not hesitate to put an end to this disturbance to public order. because it’s simply my responsibility. Today, it is still a place that seems closed, very often. There is nothing outside filtering so we don’t know“Precisely, on the procedural side, the ERP opening request is currently pendingsince the accessibility file is missing. The process usually takes three months.

An association opposes its installation

Since the start of the project, a collective of citizens has stepped up to the plate. On June 26, Bien Vivre Ensemble in Lion-d’Angers brought together 200 people to denounce “the installation of a group affiliated with the extreme right identity in the heart of the city in the former sports café“These opponents fear that the bar will become a gathering place for Angevin far-right circles and a profusion of hateful ideas. According to them, even before the validation of the opening of an establishment open to the public, the future manager would have organized a meeting of around twenty people on November 23, “comprising members of the Chouan Movement, Academia Christiana, the Iliade Institute and the former Alvarium, organizations and small groups whose active participation in the propagation of hateful, xenophobic, racist and violent speech is proven“, affirms the collective.

Credit : Marie Chevillard

The collective which has residents, but also left and far left activists, also points out what he calls “inaction and procrastination“from the town hall. “We, a collective of pacifist citizens committed to a peaceful and demanding democratic life, will not let our territory tip over without reacting, we will not turn our heads, we will not let it happen“.

Following this week’s tag, the municipality of Lion-d’Angers took photos, which it sent to the Angers public prosecutor’s office. In a press release sent this Thursday, she announced that “the owner was ordered to restore the facade to its original condition very quickly to put an end to the problem“ and reminds that “Everyone has the freedom to live where they wish and to do business in accordance with the law”. The municipality calls for calm and concludes “we must all be exemplary and show that the only path to follow is that of tolerance and respect for the laws of the Republic”.