French Court Overturns Ban on Major Muslim Gathering After Police Cited ‘Terrorist Risk’
French Court Overturns Ban on Major Muslim Gathering After Police Cited ‘Terrorist Risk’
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Paris police initially banned a large Muslim event scheduled for April 3–6 at the Le Bourget exhibition centre, citing a “major terrorist risk” and fears the gathering could be targeted by extremist actors, including small far‑right groups in a tense security climate. The Annual Meeting of Muslims of France would have drawn tens of thousands of visitors from across the country and Europe.
The police order, issued at the request of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, referenced a recent foiled bomb plot in Paris and heightened alert levels under the national VIGIPIRATE security plan. Authorities also expressed concern about strained public order resources and the potential for disruption during current political tensions.
Organisers immediately challenged the ban, and on April 3 a French administrative court overturned the prohibition, ruling that the evidence did not demonstrate a clear risk of counter‑demonstrations or that the event would be targeted as claimed. The court said freedom of assembly could only be restricted if no other security measures were sufficient, allowing the gathering to proceed as planned.
The case highlights France’s ongoing struggle to balance public safety and civil liberties amid heightened terrorism threats and rising political polarisation around religious and cultural events.
