“What if disobedience were recognized in the general interest?” The prefecture does not appreciate it and requests that public subsidies in Alternatiba Poitiers be revoked

A “civil disobedience training” seminar. This is what sparked the wrath of the prefect of Vienne who ordered the City of Poitiers and Grand Poitiers to withdraw its subsidies from Alternatiba, the organizing association of the “Village of Alternatives”. A request not really listened to by the mayor Léonore Moncond’huy who points to an excess of zeal to question the legitimacy of the association.

“It is a concept of the Republic which is crumbling and which must be defended. It is with these words that the mayor of Poitiers, Léonore Moncond’huy, replied to Jean-Marie Girier, prefect of Vienne. On September 15, by post, the prefect summoned the City of Poitiers and Grand Poitiers to withdraw their subsidies to the Alternatiba association which, in his words, was organizing events “incompatible with the republican engagement contract”.

The Parc du Triangle d’Or, in Poitiers, hosts on 17 and 18 September 2022, the “Village of alternatives”, organized by the Alternatiba Poitiers association. An event that aims atpresent alternative local solutions to combat all collective and individual practices which, in one way or another, to varying degrees, are harmful to man, his health, the social or environmental environment and, in particular, the climate .“About the event schedule”festive and familiar“: workshops, conferences and round tables to reflect on responses to the climate and social emergency with over 140 associations, businesses, institutions and citizens.

Except that the planning of the event did not necessarily please the prefecture. In particular, a workshop entitled “Training in civil disobedience” organized by Alternatiba in the company of the Extinction Rebellion movement and the Greenpeace association. For the prefect, the workshop contravenes the republican contract of engagement, with which the associations undertake to respect republican principles since January 2022 and its establishment by the government.

Par this contractassociations are required not to “undertake or instigate any action that is manifestly contrary to the law, violent or likely to cause serious disturbances to public order“but also to”do not cause hatred or violence towards anyoneDecisive points that the prefect Jean-Marie Girier made an effort to recall in his letter. Considering that the association did not respect them with this seminar, he asked the institutions that finance it (Grand Poitiers and the City of Poitiers) to withdraw their subsidies up to a total of 15,000 euros.

At the center of the controversy, the Alternatiba Poitiers association responded on September 16, first specifying what a seminar on civil disobedience was. “It is a time of training in nonviolence. [La désobéissance civile] it allows us to put into practice the values ​​that are dear to us (respect for others, benevolence, mutual aid, etc.). It is therefore not an attack on public order, but on the contrary a non-violent way of expressing the reasons that drive us to demonstrate.describes Alternatiba in its press release.

The association also recalls that civil disobedience”constitutes one of the most important aspects of the right to freedom of expression“what has”stated several times” the European Court of Human Rights, according to the association.

At the same time, Alternatiba reiterates that its “Village of Alternatives” aims to highlight ways to limit CO2 consumption and to show the way in the fight against global warming. “We would expect the same from the state, which however does not respect the Paris Accords and has been condemned twice for climate inaction.“, replies the association.

For his part, the mayor of Poitiers, Léonore Moncond’huy, does not really intend to accede to the prefecture’s request and withdraw the subsidies granted to Alternatiba. The city councilor even sees it as proof that the republican contract of employment, to which the associations are now subject, is a way for the government to hinder actions that upset him. “This law is used today to challenge the legitimacy of the Alternatiba association to raise the issue of civil disobedience in the public space.“, denounces Léonore Moncond’huy.

A fear strongly shared by many associations and political parties at the time of entry into force of the law and the relative decree. Last March, Laura Monnier, a Greenpeace lawyer, had already underlined the risks deriving from this republican employment contract Neighbor Publication : “Some actions of associations such as Greenpeace are by definition illegal. However, associations now risk having their approval withdrawn if there is a risk of damage to public order or acts of disobedience. This decree as a whole is draconian. This law poses a real threat to our business and is very worrying for the future.“

Case of the calendar or not, on the very morning of September 16 and the publication of Léonore Moncond’huy’s reply, the prefect and the mayor of Poitiers met to welcome the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Sylvie Retailleau, as well as the delegate minister for people with disabilities, Geneviève Darrieussecq.

A special atmosphere for a joint visit to the University. Léonore Moncond’huy did not want to dwell further on the subject. “I suggest we let the festival run in good conditions and invite everyone to come and see for themselves that it’s going well.”slip to France 3 the mayor of Poitiers, a smile.

Also questioned was the representative of state services, Jean-Marie Girier, who detailed his approach. “I felt it was not legal for a community with public money to fund an incitement to lawlessness, in this case funding an event where civil disobedience workshops are heldIf the “Village of alternatives” were to be held this weekend, the prefect does not rule out the possibility of bringing the case before the administrative judge.