France's interior minister Gérald Darminin has announced the dissolution of the ultra-right Division Martel group following their involvement in violence and inciting racial hatred in the Drôme department last month.
Founded a year ago by former members of a previously disbanded ultra-right group, the Division Martel was officially shut down this Wednesday.
The move was announced at the French government's Council of Ministers meeting, following the group's violent clashes with police that took place at the end of November in the south of France.
On 28 November, the Minister of the Interior proposed disbanding Division Martel, the day after incidents that resembled "a punitive expedition" following the death of a teenager in the village of Crépol.
Earlier Wednesday, Gérald Darmanin confirmed on X: "This tiny group incites violence and racial hatred. It has no place in our Republic".
Le groupement de fait « Division Martel » a été dissous ce matin en conseil des ministres, conformément aux instructions du Président de la République. Comme le détaille le décret que j’ai présenté, ce groupuscule incite à la violence et à la haine raciale. Il n’a pas sa place… pic.twitter.com/Y7ItFDcqgp
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) December 6, 2023
More extremist groups targeted
At the time of his announcement at the end of November, he also mentioned two other ultra-right-wing groups set to be dissolved, without naming them.
According to the minister's entourage, the names of the groups will be revealed shortly and their dissolution will take place speedily.
The Division Martel, was formed in 2022 and consisted of around thirty members that advocate violence "against antifascists and people of immigrant origin or presumed to be Muslim".
It also promoted "the use of violence to foster the advent of nationalist and xenophobic supremacy".
'Settling scores'
Darmanin proposed dissolving the group following a violent protest by the militant group in the town of Romans-sur-Isère on the night of 25 to 26 November.
They had gone to an area of the town – where several of people implicated in the stabbing to death of a 16 year-old – came from.
According to the authorities, their aim was to "settle scores".
They were blocked by the police, with whom they clashed for a prolonged period leading to the arrest and immediate sentencing of six members of the group, who are now serving between six and ten months in prison.
Darmanin also stated that "France has avoided a scenario of petty civil war because it has acted firmly," adding that teenager's death was a "despicable tragedy" but does not allow for anyone "to stand in the name of the State to dispense justice."
The Division Martelwas also involved in the planning violent attacks in the streets of Paris against supporters of North African origin during the France-Morocco football World Cup semi-final on 14 December 2022.
