France Moves To Ban Radical Left Group Advocating Political Violence

It is supremely ironic that a Republic built upon the Terror and the guillotine would be concerned about a Left-wing terrorist group. 

From The European Conservative

By Hélène de Lauzun, PhD

The group imagines itself fighting a ‘necessary’ battle against the ‘far Right’ and Islamophobia but interior minister says: “Enough!”

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has just called for the dissolution of La Jeune Garde Antifasciste, a small far-left group that has repeatedly distinguished itself in recent months through violent actions and calls for insurrection.

The movement was created in 2018 in Lyon. It claims to actively fight against the ‘far Right’ in public spaces and openly advocates the use of violence. On several occasions, La Jeune Garde has been involved in multiple violent actions, which it takes pride in, as the group sees itself as a “tool of popular self-defence against the far Right.” In June 2024, eight members of the group were charged with violence: they are suspected of assaulting a 15-year-old teenager in the Paris metro after a conference in support of Gaza led by Franco-Palestinian activist Rima Hassan. La Jeune Garde denies all charges against it.

Among its members is Raphaël Arnault, a member of parliament for La France Insoumise (LFI) elected in the Avignon constituency, who is fiché S, which means he is on the national register of people under state surveillance for security reasons. Arnault is the movement’s spokesman. He recently made headlines when he assaulted journalists from the conservative investigative media outlet Frontières at the National Assembly.

Arnault accuses the minister of the interior of acting on the orders of the Rassemblement National (RN) because Bruno Retailleau announced the dissolution of the group during a session of the National Assembly following a request from RN MP Sébastien Chenu.

Arnault protested on X against the procedure, arguing that the current political climate in France made La Jeune Garde’s action more necessary than ever. “In the midst of an Islamophobic frenzy, and at the request of the RN, Bruno Retailleau has announced that he will seek to dissolve La Jeune Garde. It is an indispensable anti-fascist tool in the current climate.”

La Jeune Garde is among those politicizing the April 25 murder of Malian Aboubakar Cissé in a mosque in the Gard region, portraying it as an ‘Islamophobic crime’ and blaming the far right—despite early investigation findings showing no racial or religious motive.

On the Right, Retailleau’s announcement was greeted with relief. The student union La Cocarde Etudiante welcomed the decision on X:

Last year, proceedings to dissolve a right-wing group identified as dangerous—the traditional Catholic training movement Academia Christiana—were launched. Fortunately, they were unsuccessful due to the weakness of the case. At the same time, however, the government’s crackdown spared left-wing organisations such as La Jeune Garde, despite their involvement in acts of violence. Retailleau’s decision restores some balance.

The dissolution procedure, which is expected to take around two weeks, allows the group to present a counter-argument in its defence, after which the final ministerial decision will be made.