French court overturns ban on major Muslim gathering in Paris

Elham Asaad Buaras

A last-minute court ruling allowed France’s biggest Muslim gathering to go ahead on April 3 after the government tried to block it, citing fears of terrorist attacks and far-right disruption. The dramatic decision came just two hours before the event’s scheduled 2 pm opening at Le Bourget, northern Paris, and marks a rare legal victory for organisers challenging restrictions on religious assembly.

The four-day Annual Encounter of Muslims of France (Rencontre annuelle des Musulmans de France, RAMF), held from April 3–6 at the Parc des Expositions in Le Bourget, had been blocked at the last minute by the Paris police prefecture at the request of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez. Authorities cited a “particularly tense international and national context” and warned that the event posed an “important terrorist risk” to the Muslim community.

Officials also expressed concern that far-right groups could try to disrupt the gathering, and suggested that foreign powers, including Russia and Iran, might be involved in orchestrating interference.

But France’s largest Muslim association, Muslims of France (MF), swiftly went to court to challenge the ban. Their lawyer, Sefen Guez Guez, argued that shutting down the event would be a “manifest attack on freedom of assembly” and a thinly veiled attempt to promote the government’s new anti-separatism law.

The administrative court sided with organisers, overturning the ban just two hours before the planned 2 pm opening. Judges said the police evidence “did not establish the risk of counter-demonstrations, or that the gathering would be targeted by far-right groups.” They also dismissed claims that the event would overstretch police resources, noting that extra security measures had been assured by organisers.

Organisers welcomed the ruling as a clear victory. Guez Guez called the ban “a manifest attack on freedom of assembly,” criticising the prefecture for imposing costly security demands, which had been immediately implemented.

“This decision is part of a political project and represents a diversion of power,” he said, adding that the ban had caused “colossal financial losses.”

The RAMF, part cultural conference and part trade fair, had not been held since 2019 due to the pandemic but previously drew tens of thousands from across Europe. Its 2013 edition reportedly attracted up to 170,000 visitors.

The court decision sparked strong political reactions. Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the Socialist Party, said on X that “this decree feeds the double standard, unbearable in a secular Republic,” while deputy Mathilde Panot called it a “scandal.”

Government lawyers insisted the ban had been purely about public safety. “This is not an anti-Muslim or anti-Islam decree,” a Paris police lawyer said.

The dispute comes amid plans for a new “anti-separatism” law targeting Muslim organisations accused of promoting ideas contrary to the principles of the French Republic. Nuñez said the legislation would complement a 2018 law allowing authorities to close associations promoting Islamic separatism, and stressed the need to regulate childcare and publications inciting hate or violence.

The court ruling highlighted France’s ongoing tension between national security and civil liberties, particularly regarding Muslim gatherings. For organisers and attendees, it was a landmark victory, reaffirming the right to assemble and the freedoms of expression and association in France.