“Freedom of expression cannot be used as a pretext to justify hateful and disrespectful speech towards a whole section of the population.” On August 15, in a statement, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France (Crif) of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes asked the mayor of Lyon, Grégory Doucet to ban Dieudonné’s show. The performance is scheduled to take place on Saturday, August 19. “Dieudonné has set himself up as a preacher of repeated hatred, which constitutes a threat to social cohesion and tolerance”, also affirms the Crif in this same press release.
According to the local newspaper, Lyon Capitale, the town hall of Lyon is in contact with the services of the prefecture on this subject. However, no municipal or prefectural prohibition order has been published. Above all, the place of the performance being kept secret, it is a real headache for the elected officials. On the site of the artist, considered anti-Semitic, homophobic and racist, the places are never specified. It simply says: “The exact location will be communicated to you by SMS no later than a few hours before the performance.”
In Toulouse, Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc took the decision to ban Dieudonné’s show which was to take place on August 17. But “if he decides to perform in a neighboring town, my ban will not work”, he lamented with Le Figaro on August 16. He would like the law to change. “It’s not easy to fight an opponent who advances masked, with a concealment strategy,” he lamented.
Sentenced several times for racial slur, incitement to hatred and apology for terrorism, then for tax evasion and abuse of corporate assets in 2021 by the Court of Appeal which pronounces an adapted prison sentence. The actor is under house arrest and must wear an electronic bracelet. But according to him, he “has an exceptional opportunity to practice his profession, which is the production of shows”.
Dieudonné’s show was banned in several municipalities including Toulouse and Montpellier. In Paris, the prefect of police Laurent Nunez, considered that the text of the show “attacks on human dignity”. In the name of public order and in agreement with the Ministry of the Interior, the prefect signed a prefectural decree, prohibiting the performance, which was to take place on September 14 at the Zénith.
