France’s Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has launched proceedings to dissolve La Jeune Garde Antifasciste, a radical far-left organization accused of promoting violence and fueling unrest under the banner of anti-fascism.
Formed in Lyon in 2018, the group has gained notoriety for its militant tactics and confrontations with right-wing activists. Branding itself as a force for “popular self-defence,” La Jeune Garde has been at the center of several street clashes and high-profile assaults, which it often flaunts online as victories against the far right.
But the government appears to have had enough. Retailleau, speaking in the National Assembly, announced the move following a request by Rassemblement National MP Sébastien Chenu—sparking accusations from the Left that the dissolution is politically motivated.
Among the group’s most visible figures is Raphaël Arnault, a parliamentarian from La France Insoumise who represents Avignon. Arnault, who is flagged in France’s “S” security file used to monitor potential threats, serves as the group’s spokesperson. He’s also made headlines of his own after physically confronting journalists from the conservative outlet Frontières at the National Assembly.
Arnault took to X (formerly Twitter) to slam the government’s move, claiming it was a knee-jerk response to rising far-right pressure. “In the midst of an Islamophobic frenzy, and at the request of the RN, Bruno Retailleau has announced that he will seek to dissolve La Jeune Garde. It is an indispensable anti-fascist tool in the current climate,” he wrote.
La Jeune Garde recently sparked more controversy by politicizing the murder of Malian national Aboubakar Cissé, who was killed in a mosque in the Gard region on April 25. Despite preliminary investigations ruling out racial or religious motives, the group publicly blamed the far right and framed the act as Islamophobic violence.
Their growing rap sheet includes the June 2024 case where eight members were charged for allegedly attacking a 15-year-old on the Paris metro after a pro-Gaza event. The group denies those charges but hasn’t shied away from admitting its broader ideological mission.
Support for the dissolution came quickly from the Right. Conservative student union La Cocarde Etudiante celebrated the move online, viewing it as a long-overdue act of political balance. The government, critics say, has previously targeted groups on the Right—such as Academia Christiana—while turning a blind eye to violent far-left activity.
Under French law, dissolving an organization involves a short window for the group to defend itself. That clock is now ticking for La Jeune Garde, with a final ruling expected in about two weeks.
