Facebook anti-Muslim apéros cancelled, protests

Some 800 people demonstrated Friday evening in the centre of Paris to protest against the ban of a sausage and wine “apéro géant” and to denounce what they called the Islamisation of France. Meanwhile, a copycat apéro in Lyon has been called off.

Reuters

Several secular and extreme right organisations called for the demonstration after a neighbourhood gathering was banned because it was provocatively anti-Islam. Many Muslims do not consume pork and alcohol products and the groups had organised the picnic in the multi-ethnic area the Goutte d'Or, in the north of Paris,

Brandishing salami and wearing berets, they denounced "the arrogance of Muslims”, who, they say, take up the roads in the area for praying.

They also criticised the government for letting it happen and sang the Marseillaise.

A Facebook page is calling for an apéro rosette et pinard in Lyon on the same model as the cancelled Paris event. (Rosette salami is a Lyonnaise speciality, pinard is slang for wine) had more than 2,100 members on Friday evening.

But the author of the page said she was calling it off.

“After great pressure from the police and direct threats, I am calling it off,” said Julie Trahot on the Facebook page. “I am as disappointed as you but I don’t want to put myself or anyone else in danger. That is not at all my goal.”

She said she hoped she had at least helped to highlight the issue.