Jeune Garde Antifasciste
{{Short description|French anti-fascist group}}
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| purpose = Anti-fascism
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| region_served = France
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| language = French
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| affiliations = New Popular Front
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The Jeune Garde is a French anti-fascist organisation.{{Cite web|url=https://lesjours.fr/obsessions/antifascistes/ep2-jeune-garde-lyon/|title=À Lyon rugissent les antifas|date=March 6, 2022|website=Les Jours}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/politique/article/2021/10/26/l-antifascisme-un-renouveau-par-la-jeunesse_6099876_823448.html|title=L'antifascisme, un renouveau par la jeunesse|newspaper=Le Monde.fr |date=October 26, 2021|via=Le Monde}}
History
The Jeune Garde was founded in January 2018 in Lyon.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/actualite/video-a-lyon-ca-fait-onze-ans-qu-on-subit-ces-violences-de-l-extreme-droite-raphael-arnault-porte-parole-de-la-jeune-garde|title=(Vidéo) "À Lyon, ça fait onze ans qu'on subit ces violences de l'extrême-droite", Raphaël Arnault, porte-parole de la Jeune garde|first=Marie|last=Allenou|date=November 1, 2021|website=Lyon Capitale}} In 2019, a Strasbourg section was founded and in 2020, a section in Paris was founded.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rue89strasbourg.com/services-ordre-tractage-reseaux-sociaux-riposte-antifas-strasbourg-225633|title=Services d'ordre, tractage, réseaux sociaux : la riposte des antifas locaux contre l'extrême-droite|first=Thibault|last=Vetter|date=January 25, 2022}} In 2021, local sections in Lille and Montpellier were founded.{{Cite web|url=https://rapportsdeforce.fr/pouvoir-et-contre-pouvoir/jeune-garde-notre-antifascisme-na-pas-de-feuille-de-route-preetablie-121512143|title=Jeune Garde : "notre antifascisme n'a pas de feuille de route préétablie"|first=Guillaume|last=Bernard|date=December 15, 2021}} The group uses the Three Arrows as its logo, basing itself off the logo of the French Section of the Workers' International of the first half of the 20th century.{{Cite web|url=https://lesjours.fr/personnages/jeune-garde-antifasciste/|title=La Jeune garde antifasciste|website=Les Jours}}
In September 2021, members of the far-right Zouaves Paris group assaulted Raphaël Arnault, the Jeune Garde's Lyon spokesperson, as he disembarked from a train arriving in Paris.{{Cite web|url=https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/le-leader-d-un-groupe-antifasciste-lyonnais-tabasse-a-la-sortie-d-un-train-a-paris_44760609.html|title=Le leader d'un groupe antifasciste lyonnais tabassé à la sortie d'un train à Paris|website=actu.fr|date=9 September 2021 }} In late-November 2021, Jeune Garde demonstrators clashed with members of the Collectif Némésis, an Identitarian advocacy group that self-describes as feminist, after members of Némésis attempted to join a protest march against sexual violence in Paris organised by the Collectif NousToutes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/marche-noustoutes-a-paris-des-heurts-eclatent-entre-les-feministes-du-collectif-nemesis-et-des-antifascistes-20211121|title=Marche #NousToutes à Paris : des heurts éclatent entre les féministes du collectif Némésis et des "antifascistes"|date=November 21, 2021|website=LEFIGARO}} In December 2021, National Assembly deputy Alexis Corbière and regional councillor Raquel Garrido filed a case with the police against two supporters of far-right politician Éric Zemmour after the Jeune Garde published a video online of the two Zemmour supporters at a firing range doing target practice while talking about several politicians that they would hunt, including Cobière and Garrido.{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/article/2021/12/22/alexis-corbiere-et-raquel-garrido-deposent-plainte-pour-menace-de-mort_6106993_3224.html|title=Une enquête ouverte pour "menaces de mort" après la plainte d'Alexis Corbière et Raquel Garrido|newspaper=Le Monde.fr |date=December 22, 2021|via=Le Monde}}
In February 2022, an anti-fascist conference in Strasbourg that the group attended was attacked by members of the neo-Nazi Strasbourg Offender hooligan group.{{Cite web|url=https://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/grand-est/bas-rhin/strasbourg-0/strasbourg-un-collectif-antifasciste-attaque-par-un-groupuscule-d-extreme-droite-2476003.html|title=Strasbourg : un collectif antifasciste attaqué par un groupuscule d'extrême-droite au cours d'une table ronde|website=France 3 Grand Est|date=26 February 2022 }} In May 2022, Arnault resigned as spokesperson for the Lyon section to run in the 2022 French legislative election against the candidate of the New Ecological and Social People's Union.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediapart.fr/index.php/journal/france/260522/raphael-arnault-l-antifa-qui-veut-etre-depute|title=Raphaël Arnault, l'antifa qui veut être député|first=Mathieu|last=Dejean|website=Mediapart}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/actualite/legislatives-le-porte-parole-de-la-jeune-garde-candidat-a-lyon|title=Législatives : le porte-parole de la Jeune Garde candidat à Lyon ?|first=Anthony|last=Faure|date=May 13, 2022|website=Lyon Capitale}}
According to Europe 1, the group was involved in around ten clashes with the far-right in Lyon in 2023.{{cite web|date=18 June 2024|title=Législatives 2024 : qu'est-ce que La Jeune garde, groupuscule antifa fondé par Raphaël Arnault ?|url=https://www.europe1.fr/politique/legislatives-2024-quest-ce-que-la-jeune-garde-groupuscule-antifa-fonde-par-raphael-arnault-4253297|author-last=Marty|author-first=Jean-Baptiste|access-date=18 June 2024|work=Europe 1}}
In June 2024, ahead of the 2024 French legislative election, it joined the New Popular Front alliance in an effort to contrast the rising French far-right. Arnault was named La France Insoumise's candidate as part of the Front for Vaucluse's 1st constituency.{{cite web|url=https://www.leparisien.fr/elections/legislatives/legislatives-2024-qui-est-raphael-arnault-ce-militant-antifa-fiche-s-dont-linvestiture-par-lfi-fait-polemique-16-06-2024-XHEQV2U7PBBWPKBJDQ4ICR5F5U.php|title=Législatives 2024 : qui est Raphaël Arnault, ce militant antifa fiché S dont l’investiture par LFI fait polémique ?|publisher=Le Parisien|date=16 June 2024|accessdate=18 June 2024|last=Bartoli|first=Eloïse}}
Goals
In March 2018, the group published a statement describing their aims as re-invigorating the anti-fascist movement in the city, saying that pre-existing movements were too isolated from society and treated fascist groups as if they existed in a vacuum, neglecting the necessity of struggles against capitalism and racism and other forms of oppression.{{Cite web |title=Présentation de la Jeune Garde Lyon|website=rebellyon.info |date=24 March 2018 |url=https://rebellyon.info/Presentation-de-la-Jeune-Garde-Lyon-18837}} Arnault has stated that increasing collaboration between different left-wing movements is a key objective for the group.{{cite web | url=https://www.politis.fr/articles/2021/09/ces-jeunes-qui-popularisent-lantifascisme-43610/ | title=Ces jeunes qui popularisent l'antifascisme | date=29 September 2021 }}
Maya Valka, spokesperson for the Paris section, has stated that the group aims to develop a more day-to-day struggle against fascism, and not just an anti-fascism that responds to emergency situations.{{Cite web |url=https://lahorde.samizdat.net/paris-jeune-garde-un-nouveau-groupe-antifa-parisien |title=Paris : Jeune Garde, un nouveau groupe antifa parisien|trans-title=Paris: Jeune Garde, a new Parisian antifa group |language=fr |author=vendredi |date=9 October 2020 |website=La Horde}} Valka has also stated that group aims to develop and international and class-focused feminism, saying that feminism and anti-fascism go hand-in-hand.{{cite web | url=https://www.politis.fr/articles/2021/09/maya-donner-a-voir-un-feminisme-antifasciste-43613/ | title=Maya : "Donner à voir un féminisme antifasciste" | first=Daphné | last=Deschamps | date=29 September 2021 | work=Politis |trans-title=Maya: "Showing an anti-fascist feminism" |language=fr}}
Criticism
The Jeune Garde has been criticised by some anti-fascists for not doing enough to centre anti-racism in its movement.{{Cite web|url=https://actu.fr/auvergne-rhone-alpes/lyon_69123/lyon-insultes-islamophobes-transphobes-et-violences-les-antifascistes-se-dechirent_42632873.html|title=Lyon. Insultes islamophobes, transphobes et violences : les antifascistes se déchirent|website=actu.fr|date=14 June 2021 }} The group has also been accused of promoting violence, with Arnault being designated with 3 Fiche S by French authorities.
On January 23, 2025, the Minister of the Interior, Bruno Retailleau, stated that his services were studying the administrative dissolution of the group.{{Cite web |date=2025-01-23 |title=La dissolution du groupe d'ultra gauche la Jeune Garde est "étudiée depuis 10 jours par les services de Beauvau", selon l'entourage de Bruno Retailleau |url=https://www.francetvinfo.fr/politique/bruno-retailleau/la-dissolution-du-groupe-d-ultra-gauche-la-jeune-garde-est-etudiee-depuis-10-jours-par-les-services-de-beauvau-selon-l-entourage-de-bruno-retailleau_7032215.html |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=Franceinfo |language=fr-FR}}
It was dissolved by the french government on the 12th of June 2025. https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000051724933
References
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