The extreme right-wing group “Comité du 9 mai” organized a demonstration in Paris on May 6, 2023, on the 29th anniversary of the death of Sébastien Deyzieu. A year prior, a controversial parade in the capital involving hundreds of neo-fascists with Celtic crosses, Nazi tattoos, and racist chants had caused an uproar. The Paris administrative court authorized the “Comité du 9 mai” demonstration on May 11, after the group challenged the police prefecture’s ban on the event. The court ruled that the ban violated the right to freedom of assembly. The prefecture had cited concerns of disorder and public safety risks, including masked faces and nationalistic slogans from the previous year’s parade.
The prefect’s decision to ban the “Comité du 9 mai” demonstration was seen as a reversal from the previous year, when similar actions by far-right groups were allowed to proceed. The court overturned the ban due to lack of sufficient evidence to justify the prohibition. The images of masked militants causing fear and intimidation during the previous year’s parade had sparked outrage on social media and led to accusations of leniency towards the far-right from government officials and the left. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, instructed prefects to prohibit any demonstrations organized by ultraright or far-right individuals, groups, or associations in Paris and across the country.
Despite warnings from the government, the “Comité du 9 mai” announced their intention to hold another demonstration on May 11, 2024, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Sébastien Deyzieu’s death. Deyzieu was a young activist from the nationalist group Œuvre française who died in 1994 during a confrontation with law enforcement. The rally was organized against American imperialism and was attended by radical right-wing groups like GUD (Groupe Union Défense). The event had been previously banned by the police prefecture. The upcoming anniversary demonstration was seen as a significant event for the “Comité du 9 mai.”
The court’s decision to allow the “Comité du 9 mai” demonstration highlighted the ongoing tensions between far-right groups and authorities in France. The right to freedom of assembly and the balance between public safety and civil liberties were key issues in the case. The refusal to ban the event raised concerns about potential violence and conflicts with counter-protesters. The anniversary of Sébastien Deyzieu’s death served as a rallying point for far-right groups to express their ideologies and commemorate their fallen members. The government’s response to such demonstrations and their potential impact on public order remains a topic of debate and controversy in France.
