Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP 15:24 pm, August 23, 2023

The City of Grenoble has, in turn, taken Wednesday an order to ban a show of the controversial comedian Dieudonné, which was to be held Sunday. The municipality considers that the presence of the artist could cause "proven disturbances" to the maintenance of public order, public security and public tranquility.

The City of Grenoble has, in turn, taken Wednesday an order to ban a show of the controversial comedian Dieudonné, which was to be held Sunday. In this decree, of which AFP has obtained a copy, the municipality considers that the arrival of the artist as part of his new show could cause "proven disturbances" to the maintenance of public order, public security and public tranquility with regard to the "lack of transparency" on the organization of the show.

In each city where the show is given, the exact location is indeed revealed to spectators who have pre-booked their seats, at the last moment, via SMS. "The proposed show has not been banned by the justice on the legality of its content, the municipality can only act on the risk of disturbing public order," said the city of Grenoble to AFP.

"Dieudonné will never be welcome in Grenoble"

The cities of Montpellier, Toulouse, Lyon and recently Besançon have also taken municipal decrees to prohibit the arrival of the artist. The prefecture of Yonne did the same for a show scheduled for August 20, which was nevertheless held in a private field in the commune of Neuvy-Saut, a village where a Dieudonné show had already had to be canceled in 2019.

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A neighbor who said he was disturbed by the sound of the stage installation then rushed onto the podium before the show. He was fined €1,000 in April, which he appealed. "The City of Grenoble condemns any insulting remarks, inciting hatred, aimed at fracturing society and discriminating against certain communities, Dieudonné will never be welcome in Grenoble," said also in a statement the city led by Green Eric Piolle.

In 2017, the same municipality had issued an order to prohibit a show of the comedian to be held in a Grenoble theater. The order had been sanctioned by the administrative court of Grenoble, which had considered that there was "a serious doubt about the proportionality of the prohibition to the needs of public order".