Rhone Prefect condemns ultra-right march after Lyon support rally
Prefect Étienne Guyot said he was furious about an ultra-right group that paraded with a Celtic-cross flag after a supposedly apolitical rally for merchants and police in Lyon.
On Monday evening, roughly 500 participants assembled on Lyon’s Place Bellecour to express solidarity with shop owners and police after violent lootings that damaged more than 150 stores. The event was presented as non-political and concluded before a curfew that began at 21:00. After the crowd began to disperse, a small group identified as ultra-right intermingled with attendees, marched while chanting slogans such as “La rue, la France nous appartient” and brandishing a tricolour crossed with a Celtic symbol.
They also carried banners reading “La racaille en prison” and “Anticasseurs Lyon”. Prefect Étienne Guyot described the maneuver as an unacceptable hijacking of the rally and warned that any expression inciting hatred or disturbing public order would not be tolerated. The prefecture had previously prohibited demonstrations from 18:00 to 21:00 in the city centre and imposed a night-time curfew.
Why it matters
It shows how extremist groups can exploit public gatherings, challenging authorities' efforts to maintain order.
In this story
