Darmanin announces the dissolution of the Civitas organization
Gérald Darmanin announced that he had asked his services to "instruct the dissolution" of Civitas, a far-right party which brings together fundamentalist traditionalist Catholics, the minister "firmly" condemning anti-Semitic remarks made during the summer university organisation.
"Anti-Semitism has no place in our country. I strongly condemn these ignominious remarks and seize the public prosecutor", added the Minister of the Interior in his message published on X (formerly Twitter).
On July 30 in Pontmain (Mayenne), during the Civitas summer universities, the controversial essayist Pierre Hillard declared: "You had an event in September 1791, the naturalization of the Jews". "Before 1789, a Jew, a Muslim, a Buddhist could not become French. Why? Because they were heretics", he continued before adding: "The naturalization of Jews in 1791 opens the door to the "immigration".
Pierre Hillard had then estimated that it "would perhaps be necessary to find the situation before 1789", according to a video of his intervention.
These remarks were strongly condemned by several political figures including elected officials from LFI and Renaissance, the Union of Jewish Students of France and the Licra, in particular.
In a message posted on X before that of the Minister of the Interior, Jean-Luc Mélenchon had appealed to Mr. Darmanin, because "anti-Semitism must be punished without weakness".
Mathilde Panot, president of the LFI deputies, announced she would seize "the public prosecutor".
After Mr. Darmanin's announcement, an unusual fact, Jean-Luc Mélenchon gave the minister a thumbs up: "Darmanin gives a clear answer to the questioning of the rebellious and the Licra. Anti-Semitism will be punished. Civitas will be dissolved and the public prosecutor is seized of the words of Pierre Hillard", he wrote on X, republishing the message of the minister.
The UEJF also provided "its support for the dissolution process initiated" by Gérald Darmanin, in a post on X.
The Civitas Institute, close to the Catholic far right, was recognized in 2016 as eligible for political party funding.
This movement has organized several controversial actions recently.
Several dozen demonstrators close to the fundamentalist Catholic organization Civitas had prevented the holding of a concert on May 13 at the Saint-Cornély church in Carnac. The Lorient prosecutor's office had opened an investigation for willful violence and obstruction of freedom of expression.
Last April, the Stop Homophobia and Mousse associations also filed a complaint against Civitas for discrimination on the basis of gender identity, after the cancellation of a concert by singer Bilal Hassani in a church in eastern France.
In February, Alain Escada, president of Civitas, also called on supporters of the movement to meet in Saint-Brévin (Loire-Atlantique) to demonstrate against the project for a reception center for asylum seekers (Cada).
The Editorial Board (with AFP)
