4,300 demonstrators in Saint-Étienne against the dissolution of ultra groups Magic Fans and Green Angels
On Saturday, 4,300 people marched in Saint-Étienne in support of Magic Fans and Green Angels, which are threatened with dissolution. On Monday, their representatives appear in Paris before a national advisory commission.
Green tide in Saint-Étienne: thousands of supporters on the streets against the dissolution of the kops
According to ici.fr, 4,300 people marched on Saturday in Saint-Étienne, from François Mitterrand Park to Geoffroy-Guichard Stadium, to express their support for the ultra groups Magic Fans and Green Angels, both targeted by a dissolution procedure.
Scarves, shirts and green flags filled the procession. The same slogans as a year earlier echoed through the streets: "Le Chaudron ne se dissout pas", "Liberté pour les Ultras". From a truck trailer, the representatives of the kops displayed their determination: "If today we organised this march, it is to show that whatever happens we will always be there, all together united, proud and in solidarity, around this great family that is the green people!"
In the procession, demonstrators unanimously described the procedure as unjust. Frédéric, who came from Alès in the Gard and has been a season ticket holder for over twenty years, summed up the general sentiment: "There has never been a problem in Saint-Étienne, you can see it today there are children, families, so of course there are a few rotten apples, but why impose collective sanctions? It's unjust."
National commission convenes Monday in Paris
On Monday 13 April, representatives of Magic Fans and Green Angels travel to Paris, accompanied by their lawyer, to defend their case before the national advisory commission for the prevention of violence at sporting events. This body, composed of eight members, issues an advisory opinion — non-binding on the government.
Last year, in an identical situation, the commission had concluded that dissolution was not necessary, and the government had followed this opinion. The ultra groups are hoping for a similar outcome this time, whilst they are once again threatened with dissolution by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau.
The mobilisation on 12 April follows a first demonstration organised on 29 March, when thousands of supporters dressed in green had already taken to the streets of Saint-Étienne.
The stakes of the Lyhanna case in the background
The movement in support of the ultras is part of a broader context, which ici.fr refers to under the heading "Lyhanna case". A call to demonstrate Monday in front of the courthouse was also launched by support collectives, adding a judicial dimension to the weekend's gatherings.
In the aftermath of the Paris meeting, Kilian Valentin, spokesperson for the national supporters association, responded on the ICI Saint-Étienne Loire airwaves, although the precise content of his statements has not yet been reported in detail.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)