Montpellier's wish to stop circuses with animals sued

• In October 2020, the municipal council of Montpellier had unanimously adopted a wish that national regulations aim to prohibit the presence of animals in circuses and that "pending such regulations, that the city uses all the skills at its disposal to prohibit” their holding on its territory.

• The Association for the Defense of Family Circuses attacked the deliberation before the administrative court, which considered this case on Tuesday morning.

• The city of Montpellier assures that it was a simple wish, and nothing more.

  For its part, the Association for the Defense of Family Circuses stresses that this text was only formulated in the form of a wish “to escape the censorship of justice”.

Montpellier (Hérault) and the circuses, it's a long story.

In 2018, already, while Philippe Saurel (various left) was mayor of the city, the city council had adopted a wish aimed at prohibiting the presence of wild animals in circuses.

The elected official had at the time affirmed (here) that the municipality would put all its skills to prohibit, in 2019, the holding of these shows.

The profession had immediately retorted that it was impossible to prohibit something… legal.

Three years later, new turn of the track.

This Tuesday morning, the city of Montpellier and the Association for the Defense of Family Circuses found themselves face to face, before the administrative court.

In question, a deliberation, voted in October 2020 by the municipal council of Montpellier: the elected officials, the new mayor Michaël Delafosse (PS) in the lead, had unanimously approved the wish "that a national regulation aims to prohibit the presence of animals in circuses”.

And "pending such regulations, that the city of Montpellier uses all the skills at its disposal to prohibit the arrival of circuses with animals on its territory".

The public rapporteur pleads for the deliberation to be canceled

The 2018 deliberation had been extended to domestic and farm animals.

"No animal should have to suffer exploitation and the constraint of performing in a circus at the cost of often cruel training and living conditions incompatible with their species", said Eddine Ariztegui (Animalist Party), elected to animal welfare.

On Tuesday, the public rapporteur pleaded before the administrative court for the deliberation to be canceled.

He pointed out that the city had no jurisdiction to ban circuses with animals, unless it posed any risk of disturbing public order.

It is impossible, without a law to this effect being enacted, to ban these shows from Montpellier territory.

A circus with animals, in January 2021

For her part, the city lawyer assured that it was a wish, and nothing more. “At no time was there any question that this deliberation would have any decisive effect, explains Nathalie Silleres, who defended the interests of the city. The municipality wanted to mark its attention to animal welfare. “Besides, points out the city lawyer, there was indeed a circus with animals, in January 2021, in Montpellier. We find her trace in an article in

which evokes a "princess with doves" and a "little dog with a Tahitian collar", which "jumps in hoops, walks on its hind legs or refuses to obey its master". .

Joined by

, Eddie Ariztegui, the animal welfare representative of the municipality, assures that "only a law passed by the elected representatives of Parliament can prohibit the presence of animals in circuses".

And that's why the city of Montpellier has chosen to make a wish, "like many other municipalities", he says.

Our file on circuses

For the Association for the Defense of Family Circuses, this text was formulated in the form of a wish only "to escape the censorship of justice".

And there was an intention to do everything possible to prevent circuses with animals from setting up in Montpellier.

“Look at the press of the time, says Cyrille Emery, general delegate of the association.

Each time, we say "Circuses with animals, it's over".

For everyone, it was very clear.

The court's decision will be made in 15 days.

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• Languedoc Roussillon

• Circus

• Animals

• Michael Delafosse

• Montpellier

• Society

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