Music Festival: the La France insoumise concert in Paris authorized by administrative justice

The Paris administrative court on Friday suspended the decision of the police prefect to ban a La France insoumise concert planned on the Place de la République on the occasion of the Fête de la Musique. “The court considered that the risks of disturbances to public order invoked by the order to justify the ban were not sufficiently justified by the prefect, noting that none of the elements produced made it possible to support them”indicated in a press release the administrative court, seized for summary proceedings, an emergency procedure.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of LFI, shouted «Victoire» on X. “The police prefect, the president of Crif and the PS town hall of Paris tried in vain to attack the public liberties of the left-wing opposition”wrote the presidential candidate. “The police chief takes note of the decision” of the court “who considered that the conditions were met to allow the concert to take place safely”reacted the police headquarters. The contested order, taken Wednesday evening by the prefecture, noted that the“event should notably welcome the Adama Committee and its founder Assa Traoré, the rappers Médine and Soso Maness”.

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Regarding the latter, the ban was justified by the fact that he had sung “Everyone hates the police” during Humanity Day in 2021. “The Paris police headquarters is in its role, it notes risks of disturbance to public order due to guests who have made offensive remarks in the past, particularly against the police”government spokesperson Maud Bregeon supported Thursday morning.

But, decided the Paris administrative court, if the police prefect relied on the announced presence of these personalities to characterize the risk “to attract a public hostile to the police and to give rise to the dissemination of remarks calling for hatred, discrimination or violence”, “the banning of a meeting can only be decided as a last resort”. The magistrates have “then noted that the organizers of this demonstration had not planned either the participation of Assa Traoré, nor that of the rappers Médine and Soso Maness”.

“Recovery”

The summary judge “also noted that the documents placed in the file did not make it possible to justify the existence of risks of material disturbance to public order or the sufficiently certain and eminent commission of criminal offenses”continues the press release. This concert organized by LFI, which aims to politicize the festive event that is the Fête de la Musique, was announced on Sunday evening. In the process, the PS mayor of the Paris Center district, Ariel Weil, opponent of LFI, denounced a “irresponsible project” and one “recovery for political purposes of a festive event”.

“This concert is legal but is it relevant for democracy? No political party should be able to hijack a popular festival which aims to bring the French together, not to divide them.for his part declared the president of Crif, Yonathan Arfi. Contacted by AFP, the entourage of the socialist mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire did not wish to comment. “Can you imagine, if the RN did a concert, what would we have said?”had nevertheless commented a source within the majority at the Council of Paris.

“It’s a real snub for the government and all those who wanted to find an opportunity to attack rebellious France”reacted LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard after the announcement of the authorization of the concert. La France insoumise had already organized concerts for the Fête de la Musique in 2025, on the banks of the Saint-Martin canal in Paris. The rapper Médine was present there. The rally had not been canceled.