French anti-racism group files complaint over far-right flyers distributed near Le Pen rally

Euronews

08-04-2025

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A French anti-racism group has filed a legal complaint against the far-right fringe group Luminis Paris, after it distributed graphic flyers calling for action against foreigners near a rally for National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen on Sunday.
The flyers were handed out near a protest held by Le Pen supporters outraged at her recent embezzlement conviction and five-year ban from running in elections.
Luminis Paris handed out flyers which featured a bloodied knife and the words "French people, fight back". Other leaflets featured violent and xenophobic language, reading 'French people, today the foreigners come into our arms to slit the throats of your sons and wives".
These words bear a strong resemblance to a portion of the French national anthem La Marseillaise: 'Do you hear the roar of those ferocious soldiers in the countryside? They come right into your arms to slit the throats of your sons, your companions.'
SOS Racisme, which brought the complaint on Monday, accused Luminis Paris of inciting racial hatred and violence.
'This shows how the far right, despite its internal divisions, unites around what is its DNA: hatred of the Other,' said SOS Racisme President Dominique Sopo.
Observers say the flyers could violate France's hate speech laws, which ban public incitement to discrimination or violence.
Luminis Paris did not immediately respond to the legal complaint and dismissed criticism of the flyers. It did however share a Telegram post on Monday, in which it explained why the group attended the rally: 'to remind everyone that while democratic parties don't seem capable of offering us our own survival, alternatives do exist'.
'From de-demonisation to the fetishism of French nationalities and the masochistic idolatry of the sacrosanct Republic. This is what the RN seems intent on proposing once again after yet another humiliation,' added the post.
Luminis Paris has been in the spotlight before. In 2024, it was accused of carrying out patrols in Paris that denied help to homeless migrants.
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SOS Racisme is now calling on authorities to ban the flyers and dissolve the group. 'The racism we face today is not just normalised — it's structured, radicalised, and dangerous,' it said.
Luminis Paris' activities reflect a broader trend that has seen fringe far-right groups crop up across France.