“I have decided to initiate the contradictory which would allow the dissolution of this de facto grouping”, added the Minister of the Interior to the National Assembly, in response to a question from the LREM deputy for Loire-Atlantique Valérie Oppelt .

"Once things are built and we are unassailable, I will propose to the President of the Republic the dissolution" of "Nantes revolted", he continued.

The group now has a period of fifteen days to present its arguments to the government, at the end of which the minister will make his decision.

If he demands dissolution, he will present a decree to this effect to the Council of Ministers.

"Can't wait to see the justifications for restricting freedom of expression. What exactly are we being blamed for, not having cried heartily (sic) over the images of a broken window? Relaying calls for demonstrations? Bringing out a magazine that denounces the rapid fascisation of power?”, immediately tweeted “Nantes revolted”, which presents itself as an “autonomous and committed media”.

In the morning, the prefect of Loire-Atlantique Didier Martin had explained to the press that a dissolution was "not as simple as it seems, otherwise it could have been done a long time ago".

"Nantes revolted claims to be media, so we can, for example, be confronted with respect for freedom of expression and freedom of the press," he added.

Friday evening, incidents occurred in the center of Nantes on the sidelines of an "antifa" demonstration that brought together more than 600 people, with smoke bombs and fireworks.

"Down with the state, the cops and the fachos," chanted the demonstrators, according to videos posted on Twitter.

A store window was smashed and the front of a Monoprix degraded.

Projectiles were thrown at the police.

The protest then moved on to a bar known to host far-right activists.

A server and a customer were hit there.

Following these incidents, "three people were arrested and one was sentenced to prison following an immediate appearance", according to Mr. Darmanin, for whom "what happened" in Nantes is "unacceptable ".

The Minister argued that "since the El Khomri law (Labour law), this de facto group constantly repeats calls for violence and this weekend against the State and the police".

It is customary in Nantes that demonstrations are not declared, which the minister regretted.

© 2022 AFP