Extreme right-wing threats : VoxPublic initiates two inter-associative and trade union events

The threats and violence orchestrated by far-right groups and parties against associations and trade unions, as well as racialized or discriminated people (LGBTQIA+,...), are a concrete reality that gives great cause for concern to these organizations. This summer, to gain a better understanding of the new threats to civil society and to consider possible responses, VoxPublic organized two events to discuss this context : a day of exchange on July 4, and a workshop at the Social and Solidarity Movements Summer Camp (Université d’été des mouvements sociaux et solidaires, August 23-27), attended by some 80 activists concerned by these attacks.

« The identitarian nationalists are obsessed with the theory of the Great Replacement. Génération identitaire wanted to be the « Greenpeace of the far-right ». In other words, they want to use communication tactics to enter the public debate. This doesn’t mean they aren’t violent and dangerous. The best-known activist figures in this movement today are Damieu Rieu and Thaïs d’Escufon. They took up the cause of Reconquête and Eric Zemmour during the last presidential campaign, » explains journalist Mathieu Molard. The editor-in-chief of Streetpress, and host of the newsletter « FAF », introduced our day of exchange on July 4, 2023, in front of an audience of some 40 representatives of associations and trade unions invited by VoxPublic. All together, they talked about the threats and attacks emanating from the far-right groups and parties against their organizations.

The journalist then goes on to distinguish among extreme right-wing, different groupuscules. We can name the « revolutionary nationalists » of the GUD (Groupe union défense) who recently marched in balaclavas in Paris, the « royalists of Action française » and the « fundamentalist Catholics of Civitas », as well as the anti-semitic conspiracists of which Alain Soral’s « Egalité et réconciliation » website is one of the showcases. Alongside these hardliners and harassers, there is the parliamentary far right, led by the Rassemblement National parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan’s Debout la France, as well as Eric Zemmour’s Reconquête and the Parti de la France, from the FN split.

This mapping of the « extreme right », plural and multiform was much appreciated by the participants in order to identify where the threats come from, so as to better anticipate and report them to both medias and justice. Participants also pointed out that the violence took place at a time of police repression of social movements by the executive branch, from the movement against pension reform to the uprisings following the death of young Nahel Merzouk.

Inter-associative and union solidarity as a bulwark against the far right

At the Summer Camp of Social Movements and Solidarity held at the Université Paris-Nord in Bobigny at the end of August, VoxPublic, along with its partners Anvita (Association nationale des Villes et Territoires accueillants) and Désinfox Migrations, organized a workshop on fighting back against far-right extremists’ attacks. Attended by some fifty people, this participative workshop provided an opportunity to share strategies for countering and preventing right-wing extremist attacks, both against associations and trade unions, and against local elected representatives. The participation of Désinfox Migrations provided an opportunity to address more specifically the issue of disinformation and the propagation of fake news as a common strategy in the propaganda work of extreme right-wingers. VoxPublic’s experience with the Fonds Merci in Callac (Côtes-d’Armor), and again today with the commune of Bélâbre (Indre), was used during these workshops. Judicial strategies were also discussed at these workshops, particularly on July 4, thanks to the expertise of lawyer Vincent Brengarth.

All participants highlighted the importance of solidarity between associations, unions and elected representatives in the collective fight against right-wing extremist threats and violence, and in drawing attention to certain shortcomings on the part of public authorities.

VoxPublic is currently preparing a tool-guide to share widely the best practices and strategies discussed by all participants at these two events. Our association, with the support of the Liberties will continue its activities in support of all militant groups, and people affected by discrimination, who suffer threats and violence from the various groups or parties that today make up the French far-right.

Paris, september 5th 2023