In Rouen, the organizers of a xenophobic evening abandon their event despite being authorized by the courts

However, the courts had given their agreement. The organizers of a xenophobic evening entitled “Ausländer Raus” (“foreigners outside”, in German), which was to be held on Friday June 28 in the evening, in an identity bar in Rouen, finally announced its cancellation. The matter was referred to the courts for 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.

On Thursday, the mayor (Socialist Party) of Rouen, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, had issued a municipal decree banning this evening organized by the identitarian bar Le Mora. In the process, the association organizing the evening had filed an interim relief application with the Rouen administrative court to request the suspension of the municipal decree. The court ruled in their favor on Friday, late afternoon, according to the decision consulted by Agence France-Presse.

A slogan must go viral

The Rouen court considered that a ban would have “attack on the fundamental freedom of association and assembly”, we can read in a press release. According to the judge, it has not been established at this stage that “the slogan “Ausländer Raus” which gave its title to the evening organized on June 28, 2024 by the Union Normande de France association comes, even probably, from propaganda or songs broadcast during the National Socialist regime [nazi]. »

” 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.

But according to the administrative court, “The German authorities have not taken any criminal action against the use of these words sung by high school graduates” in May 2024. “The report made to the public prosecutor by the mayor of Rouen on June 21, 2024 was, eight days later, on today’s date, left unanswered”the court also notes.

Mayor’s Call

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’ (…) has no place in Rouen or anywhere else in our Republic”underlines the mayor of Rouen.

The prefect of Seine-Maritime had banned any demonstration in an area around the bar located in a pedestrian street in the city center, from Friday 5 p.m. to Saturday 4 a.m. “Risks of public order disturbances and clashes between opposing 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.