France’s Interior Minister could seek to ban the country’s nationalist and far-right Generation Identity movement after publicly condemning its recent actions.
Gerald Darmanin was angered last week after 30 activists from the group carried out what they called a surveillance operation in the Pyrenees, seeking to protect France’s border with Spain from perceived "terrorist and migrant risks".
Activists patrolled the area in pick-up trucks displaying banners which read 'Defend Europe'.
Mr Darmanin said on Tuesday that he was “outraged” by Generation Identity’s actions, which he said undermined France.
He said he would bring together officials from the interior ministry to discuss whether the group should be banned.
"If there is enough evidence I will not hesitate to advise closing it down," Mr Darmanin told a press conference.
French politicians, including regional president Carole Delga, called on Mr Darmanin to dissolve "this tiny extreme right-wing group”, describing it as “violent and dangerous".
In 2016, the French branch of Generation Identity had around 2,000 members but current numbers are unclear.
Its website refers to a surge in violence caused by an “invasion” of immigrants, that has left people scared to leave their homes.
The group claims that in certain neighbourhoods, many residents no longer recognise their country and that the 'Islamisation' of France has erased national identity.
Generation Identity is a pan-Europe movement, founded in France, that believes indigenous Europeans are being replaced by immigrants.
It denies that it is a fascist group but many members have links to the far right and neo-Nazis.
Generation Identity members have clashed in recent years with migrants in the mountains and have tried to build fences at major crossing points.
In 2019, France jailed three members of the group who had erected a giant banner in the Alps telling migrants to “go back to your homeland”.
