France bans three far-right groups
The French government had banned three far-right groups in the aftermath of the killing of anti-fascist activist Clément Méric last month.
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The organisations Troisième Voie, Jeunesses Nationalistes Révolutionnnaires and Envie de Rêver have been banned because they have the “characteristics of private militias” and incite racial hatred, government spokesperson Najat Vallaud-Belkacem announced Wednesday.
The three groups, several of whose sympathisers were implicated in Méric’s death, are led by far-right activist Serge Ayoub, formally known as “Batskin”.
According to anti-fascist websites, Envie de Rêver (Feel like dreaming) is a legally declared association that allows charitable status for Ayoub’s bar, Le Local, which serves as a meeting point for skinheads and other right-wingers and a venue political debates.
The chief suspect in the Méric case, Esteban Morillo, was involved with Troisième Voie and Jeunesses Nationalistes Révolutionnnaires.
Ayoub, who announced that the two groups had dissolved on 25 June, on Wednesday said he would appeal against the ban, claiming it constitutes an “abuse of power”.
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