Social Bastion (French: Bastion Social) was a French political movement founded in 2017 by former members of the far-right student association Groupe Union Défense (GUD) and dissolved by official decree in 2019 after several racially motivated attacks committed by its members.[1] The movement advocated nativism and remigration.[2][3]
| Bastion Social | |
 | |
| Predecessor | Groupe Union Défense |
|---|---|
| Formation | June 2017 |
| Founder | Steven Bissuel |
| Dissolved | April 24, 2019 |
| Headquarters | Lyon |
| Leader | Valentin Linder |
Inspired by the Italian movement CasaPound, with which they maintained ties, Social Bastion used similar political actions such as squatting, demonstrations, and humanitarian aid restricted to white homeless people.[4][2][5] The group was also close to the Belgian Nation Movement and the Swiss Résistance Helvétique.[6]
History edit
Social Bastion was founded in 2017 by Steven Bissuel, a former president of the GUD in Lyon, and later spread to other French cities such as Chambéry, Strasbourg, Aix-en-Provence, Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille.[7] Valentin Linder became its new leader in 2018.[8][9]
Social Bastion was banned by the French government on 24 April 2019, along with six other far-right groups, due to the involvement of several of its members in acts of violence.[1][10][11] Despite this, the movement has survived under different structures, growing from 6 to 15 local branches.[8][12] As of November 2020, legal proceedings are under way for "reconstitution of a disbanded group".[12]
Convictions edit
On 12 December 2017, a leader of the Strasburg branch of Bastion Social was convicted to 8 months in prison for the assault of a young man of Algerian origin.[13] On 27 June 2018, two founding members of the Marseille branch were convicted to 6 months in prison for the aggression of an off-duty gendarme and a Black Guadeloupean man.[14] In October 2018, a member of the Clermont-Ferrand branch was convicted to 1 year in prison for two racially motivated attacks.[15]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b Suc, Matthieu; Turchi, Marine (21 February 2019). "La dissolution du Bastion social était déjà engagée depuis deux mois". Mediapart (in French).
- ^ a b Fauquembergue, Anne (10 April 2018). ""Bastion Social" : stratégie et limites d'un nouveau mouvement de l'ultra-droite". France Culture (in French).
- ^ Soullier, Lucie (6 November 2018). "Le local du groupuscule d'extrême droite Bastion social fermé par la ville de Lyon". Le Monde (in French).
- ^ Barthélemy, Hélène (14 February 2018). "How to write history like an Identitarian". Southern Poverty Law Center.
- ^ Magal, Marylou (19 March 2018). "Bastion social : les habits neufs de l'extrême droite radicale". Le Point (in French).
- ^ Rossier, Roland (31 March 2018). "Des ultranationalistes se sont réunis à Genève". Tribune de Genève (in French). ISSN 1010-2248.
- ^ Suc, Matthieu; Turchi, Marine (5 June 2018). ""Bastion social": les secrets du nouveau GUD". Mediapart (in French).
- ^ a b Plottu, Pierre (29 October 2019). "Le mouvement néofasciste Bastion social renaît de ses cendres". Slate (in French).
- ^ Krempp, Guillaume (21 September 2018). "Le président du Bastion Social Strasbourg prend la tête du mouvement national". Rue89 Strasbourg (in French).
- ^ AFP (24 April 2019). "Le mouvement d'ultradroite Bastion social dissout en Conseil des ministres". L'Obs (in French).
- ^ Belaich, Charlotte (24 April 2019). "Le gouvernement dissout le Bastion social et six de ses antennes". Libération.
- ^ a b Suc, Matthieu; Turchi, Marine; Bourdon, Sébastien (18 November 2020). "Dissous, le Bastion social se reconstitue sous de nouvelles identités". Mediapart (in French).
- ^ Poivret, Aurélien (13 December 2017). "Strasbourg - Violences après le lancement du Bastion social. Deux identitaires condamnés". Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French).
- ^ Leroux, Luc (28 June 2018). "Deux fondateurs du Bastion social condamnés à Marseille". Le Monde (in French).
- ^ Ledys, Jean-Baptiste (19 October 2018). "Justice - Qui sont les militants du Bastion social qui ont été condamnés ce vendredi à Clermont-Ferrand ?". La Montagne.
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