A “Defend Europe” jacket from Génération Identitaire, a small right-wing group.

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ROMAIN LAFABREGUE / AFP

A preliminary investigation for "public provocation to racial hatred" was opened Tuesday after an anti-migrant operation in the Pyrenees of the far-right group Generation Identity, the Saint-Gaudens (Haute-Garonne) prosecutor told AFP.

This investigation entrusted to the research brigade of the gendarmerie of Saint-Gaudens is justified by "remarks made on this very clearly anti-immigration banner and especially the reason why this banner was deployed," said Christophe Amunzateguy.

A complaint from SOS Racisme was also received.

"Defend Europe"

Last week, around thirty activists were deployed between Luchon (Haute-Garonne) and the Spanish border.

With cars screened "Defend Europe", they had settled at the Col du Portillon, some had gone on hikes using a drone to monitor the border.

The dissolution of Génération Identitaire, long called for by several associations and political parties, was first mentioned Tuesday by Gerald Darmanin, "scandalized" by the recent operation in the Pyrenees.

Concerning this last action on January 19, “the gendarmes had initially left on a simple judicial inquiry with regard to the nature of the intrusion on an EDF site (to deploy the banner).

As the premises were not closed, there had been no offense, ”said the prosecutor.

But in view of the images of this banner and the hearings of the organizers explaining the reasons for their action, "I considered that we were not on a simple question of intrusion and that I wanted to go further and see if I could initiate proceedings ”.

According to a message from Generation Identity posted on social networks, this campaign called “Defend Europe” intends to fight against the “terrorist and migratory risk in the Pyrenees”.

The organizers heard quickly

"This massive immigration against which the various governments have never really fought, we, Generation Identity (...) decided to oppose it concretely so we wanted to lend a hand to the police", indicated by telephone Thaïs d'Escufon, a spokesperson for Génération Identitaire in Toulouse, present on the Pyrenean operation.

In December, Génération Identitaire and three of its executives were acquitted by the Grenoble Court of Appeal in the case of anti-immigrant operations carried out in 2018 in the Alps, on the Franco-Italian border.

The organizers of the action in the Pyrenees should be quickly heard by the investigators.

The prosecutor intends to "give himself time for reflection and analysis to see if he initiates proceedings with regard to the qualification" retained.

At the end of the investigation, the organizers will be sent back to correctional facilities or the case will be closed.

Politics

Identity generation: "Scandalized", Gérald Darmanin studies its dissolution

Justice

Alps: The far-right group Generation Identity released for its anti-migrant operation

  • Pyrenees

  • Society

  • Far right

  • Immigration

  • Migrants

  • Identity generation