Aurélien Verhassel, the president of the identitarian group La Citadelle, was photographed in 2016 in front of a Flanders flag during the opening of his private club. The club, located at 8 Rue des Arts in Lille, was the headquarters of Génération Identitaire Flandres-Artois-Hainaut. La Citadelle now refers to itself on social media as “the house of identity and rooted and patriotic community.” However, the association was dissolved by the French government in February 2020 for inciting xenophobia, discrimination, hatred, and violence, leading to the closure of the bar. The Council of State rejected La Citadelle’s request to suspend the dissolution on April 2, causing President Aurélien Verhassel to accuse the government of trying to silence them.
A charismatic figure, Aurélien Verhassel, a 39-year-old former communications and political science student, had already made a name for himself in Lille before opening the club. In 2014, he was involved in setting up an “anti-thug militia” to patrol the metro, and in August 2015, he and other identitarians were on the roof of the Arras train station demanding the expulsion of Islamists. In March 2016, they were at the Calais “jungle.” The bar’s presentation to the press in 2016 featured a carefully staged setting with a statue of Joan of Arc, hops hanging from the ceiling, a “Y’a bon Banania” box, and a large piggy bank on the counter. Verhassel openly stated that the club was reserved for sincere patriots who were Helleno-Christian and of European descent, drawing inspiration from the history of citadels being used for defense and reconquest.
Despite local authorities expressing concern, they were unable to shut down the bar immediately due to the lack of legal grounds. Lille mayor Martine Aubry acknowledged that she had limited legal options against “a private club managed by an authorized association” and vowed to prevent any disturbances or provocations. A petition against the bar gathered seventy thousand signatures, but it did not lead to its closure. Verhassel believed that the government’s actions were an attempt to silence them, accusing them of enforcing a “thought crime.” The club’s closure marked a victory for those who opposed its perceived discriminatory and hateful ideologies.
La Citadelle’s activities were widely publicized through media-savvy operations like patrolling public spaces and staging demonstrations. Verhassel and his followers positioned themselves as defenders of French identity against what they saw as threats posed by immigration and Islamism. The dissolution of the association marked a turning point in their activities, forcing them to find new ways to promote their ideas. Despite facing legal challenges and public backlash, Verhassel maintained his stance that the government was infringing on their freedom of speech. The story of La Citadelle reflects broader debates around nationalism, identity, and the boundaries of free expression in contemporary France.
The rise of identitarian groups like La Citadelle raises questions about how to address the growing influence of far-right ideologies in society. While freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it can also be used to spread hate speech and incite violence. The government’s decision to dissolve the association was seen as a necessary step to prevent further harm, but it also sparked debates about the limits of state intervention in controlling extremist movements. As the battle between nationalism and multiculturalism continues to play out in France and beyond, the case of La Citadelle serves as a cautionary tale of the dangers of extremism and the challenges of upholding democratic values in a diverse society.
