In a circular issued on 6 January 2014 to the country’s prefects, French Interior Minister Manuel Valls requests them to draw the attention of mayors, invested with the power to police public performances, to the guidelines banning ’’Le Mur’’(The Wall) by French humorist Dieudonné, and if necessary to act in their stead when they deem the conditions to enforce the ban are in place.

The circular entitled "Lutte contre le racisme et l’antisémitisme — manifestations et réunions publiques - spectacles de M. Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala" (Fight against racism and anti-semitism – events and public gatherings – performances by M. Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala) is nevertheless cautious: it leaves the responsibility of assessing the situation solely to the prefects, so as to spare the Minister in case of a court ruling overturning the ban.

The Déclaration des droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen of 1789 (Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen), recalled in the preamble of the French Constitution, guarantees freedom of speech (article 11).

But above all, the circular lays bare the real reasons for the Minister’s bile. It is not directed against the entirety of Dieudonné’s activities, but only against his current show, ’’The Wall,’’ alluding to the ’’separation barrier,’’ illegally built by the State of Israel (cf. The résolution ES-10/15).

On 17 June 2011, Manuel Valls had publicly confessed being eternally linked to the state of Israel.

Translation
Alizée Ville

titre documents joints


Circulaire du ministre de l’Intérieur
(PDF - 204.5 KiB)