The conference for La France Insoumise lawmaker Raphaël Arnault has found a new home in Villeurbanne after municipal authorities in Lyon pulled the plug on his scheduled Thursday appearance. Arnault, who represents Vaucluse in the National Assembly, will now present his book Antifasciste
this Friday at 19:00 at the Bieristan, located at 14 rue Paul-Lafargue, according to a joint statement. A book signing session is also announced, and several local businesses and establishments subsequently offered to host them.
Security Concerns Derail Lyon Venue
The relocation resolves a tense standoff that began when the mayoral office of Lyon’s 8th arrondissement withdrew permission for the November 5 event. City officials cited severe security concerns, noting that the conference coincided with a nationwide interunion day of action that required heavy deployment of police forces across France. Compounding the logistical hurdles, an ultra-right gathering had taken place outside the 8th arrondissement’s town hall during the intervening weekend, prompting Lyon Mayor Grégory Doucet to report the incident to judicial authorities over alleged intimidation tactics. The municipal salle polyvalente reservation was cancelled by the arrondissement mayor, Olivier Berzane.
Political Friction on the Local Left
The cancellation triggered immediate friction within the local political left. While Mayor Doucet maintained in an interview with Tribune de Lyon that he had attempted to coordinate an alternative date with local LFI deputy Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi, Belouassa-Cherifi voiced sharp disapproval of the municipal decision. She argued that ceding to security risks effectively bowed to pressure from the extreme right. The LFI alliance with Grégory Doucet previously allowed the mayor to retain his seat. Belouassa-Cherifi criticized the mayor’s double standard, stating, Grégory Doucet cherche à avoir une position d’équilibre pour ne pas nous énerver
and Donc on cherche une nouvelle salle, à la même date. Il essaie de se rattraper et c’est à nous de faire un pas. J’aime pas ces méthodes délétères. C’est céder à la pression et à l’intimidation de l’extrême-droite
. Les Insoumis de Villeurbanne expressed anger against an adjoint, and Anaïs Belouassa-Cherifi has still not answered Grégory Doucet's calls since the beginning of the week. In their joint communiqué, the organizers attributed the cancellation to a request from l’extrême droite
and presented it as un signal particulièrement inquiétant pour la liberté d’expression et de réunion
. The two deputies concluded their statement by affirming, Nous serons donc bien présents ce vendredi pour rappeler que Lyon et ses alentours sont des terres d’antifascisme et de résistance à l’extrême droite
.
Antiterrorism Police Question Antifascist Movement Cofounder
The political climate surrounding the event remains volatile. Arnault, cofondateur du mouvement antifasciste la Jeune Garde, a été entendu mercredi 28 octobre en audition libre par la Sous-direction antiterroriste (Sdat) en lien avec l’enquête sur la mort de Quentin Deranque, militant d’extrême droite radicale décédé à Lyon. Ahead of the originally planned date, National Rally deputy Tiffany Joncour had publicly petitioned the Rhône prefect to ban the conference entirely, citing the ongoing judicial proceedings and denouncing the event’s indécence
while the family of Quentin Deranque requested his audition pour association de malfaiteurs
. Villeurbanne is also the location where Raphaël Arnault, surrounded by some members of the Jeune Garde who were cited or incarcerated in the investigation into the death of Quentin Deranque, had previously demonstrated against the arrival of Eric Zemmour in March 2023.
Legal Demands for Friday Security
Despite the initial roadblocks and threats of legal action via a liberty-related summary procedure, the organizers secured venue space at the Villeurbanne establishment. Legal representatives for the lawmakers, attorneys Chirinne Ardakani and Louis Pierot, have since formally written to the prefect of the Rhône, demanding that authorities guarantee the security of the gathering and protect the freedom of expression and assembly as the rescheduled Friday event approaches.
