The prefecture of Drôme announced, on Monday, November 25, that it would prohibit a series of rallies planned for next weekend in memory of the young Thomas, murdered a year ago in the town of Crépol, for fear of “significant disruptions” to public order.
A small far-right group called “Justice for Our Own” called a meeting on November 19 in Romans-sur-Isère, a year after the assassination, but ultimately postponed its call until November 30, after protests by those close to it. of the young man. The group announced on social media on Monday at noon “the presentation of a summary order of release” challenge the prefectural order.
For several days, its members have been distributing leaflets in and around Romans-sur-Isère urging people to gather in memory of Thomas and another young man, Nicolas Dumas, a player from the same rugby club as the murdered teenager. at the beginning of November in front of a nightclub in the department, which they describe as “victims of immigration”.
Political “recovery”
Denouncing the political exploitation of these two deaths, leftist associations or organizations wanted to organize a counter-demonstration. “This recovery has been the subject of numerous pamphlets, letters and public statements for several weeks, leading to fears of major riots and ideological clashes in Romans-sur-Isère, Bourg-de-Péage, Crépol and Valence”writes the prefecture in a press release.
Consequently, the prefect of Drôme decided to ban these two demonstrations, and in general all gatherings, from 8 a.m. on Saturday to 8 p.m. on Sunday in these four cities, with slogans related to the two deaths or the reason. “the fight against racism, hatred, francocide, insecurity or immigration”.
The death of Thomas, a 16-year-old high school student stabbed during violence at the end of a village dance, enraged the political class, with the right and far-right seizing on the issue to denounce growing insecurity in the countryside. according to them from the sensitive suburbs. A few days after the murder, far-right activists organized a demonstration similar to a punitive expedition in the Monnaie district of Romans, where some of the fourteen accused people came from.
