07 Dec 2023 | 09:02 AM UTC
France: Activist groups to stage memorial gatherings in Reims Dec. 7 and Toulouse Dec. 8 /update 1
Activist groups in France to hold memorial rallies in Reims Dec. 7 and Toulouse Dec. 8. Increased security, localized disruptions likely.
Activist groups in France, including Les Normaux and French Fury, will hold further gatherings commemorating the Nov. 18 death of a 16-year-old in Crepol. The following events are confirmed:
Dec: 7: Activists will gather outside the cathedral in Riems from 19:00.
Dec. 8: Activists plan to gather in Place des Puits Clos in Toulouse from 19:00.
Attendance levels are unclear but precedent suggests no more than a few hundred activists will gather at each event; however, a large police deployment will likely accompany the gatherings as a precaution against violence.
Police may implement road closures in the affected areas; localized disruptions are likely. Clashes between police and protesters are possible. Counterprotests by rival groups may also occur, and skirmishes between rival activists cannot be ruled out. Further protests are likely in urban centers across France in coming days.
Avoid all protests as a routine security precaution. Allow extra time for traveling in the impacted areas. Heed instructions from authorities. In the event of violence, leave the area immediately.
Local authorities across France have banned some gatherings, and permitted others, over concerns that violence would break out due to the radical nature of the activist groups. Even when the events have been banned, some activists have gathered and police have deployed heightened security to the affected locations.
Authorities accuse some of these groups, including "Les Normaux" and "Les Remparts" of being complicit in violence at related demonstrations in Romans-sur-Isere and Lyon. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that he would ban three groups linked to the violence; the "Martel Division" has since been banned. Darmanin accused the group of inciting violence and racial hatred. Further banning orders are possible and could spark protests by the affected groups' sympathizers.
