Here is another example its capacity French far-right to create controversy over trivial matters and setting the political and ideological agenda. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) asked its fans: boycott FNAC stores this Christmas time. This is because? Culture and leisure chain selling an anti-fascist board game.
Leaders of the far right have shouted in the sky in recent weeks for ‘Antifa’, a board game where different participants must collaborate to form an anti-fascist collective. “Racism, sexism, nationalism. Stop! Against the extreme right: play” was the slogan of this product designed by the anarchist publishing house and bookseller Libertalia. It was originally intended as a training tool for left-wing militants, but from the end of 2021 it has been sold in traditional stores and large chains such as FNAC. It was pretty much overlooked. Until the far right decides to discuss it.
A multinational organization founded by the Trotskyists
MEP Jérôme Rivière of Éric Zemmour’s ultranationalist and xenophobic Reconquista commented on an image of the game on the shelves of a multinational store at the end of November, “Aren’t you doing well at FNAC?” “Box 1: block a university. Box 2: I beat a right-wing militant. Box 3: I’m attacking an RN rally. Box 4: I throw Molotov cocktails at riot police. Aren’t you ashamed in the FNAC?” A few days later, Lepenista MP Grégoire de Fournas, who made the headlines in early November, denounced him for saying: that “go Africa”to a black-skinned representative of the left.
Far-right police unions also joined the campaign against the vote, “justifying anti-fascist groups that destroyed, burned and attacked police officers in demonstrations”. First, FNAC succumbed to pressure from the far-right and its campaign of exaggeration or outright lies about the product’s ingredients. In late November, he announced stopped selling.
This decision has some dizziness France. You won’t find all kinds of books on FNAC’s shelves, from famous far-right works like Adolf Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf’ or Reanud Camus’ ‘Le gran replacement’ to all sorts of essays by the radical left. It was also surprising since it was FNAC. founded by ex-Trotskyist militantsAmong them is Max Théret, who fought in international brigades in the Spanish Civil War.
Demonization of anti-fascism
The group finally decided to fix it and announced last week I would keep selling ‘Antifa’. Perpinyà mayor and RN number three, Louis Aliot, reacted after this decision by saying, “I ask all responsible consumers not to go to the stores where the game is distributed.” In reality, this boycott of ultras has fallen victim to a “Streisand effect”. Introduced the controversial product Already exhausted all its stocks for this Christmas.
The shot backfired in lepenismo. But this event demonstrated the ability to make noise from trifles to advance the ideological pawns of the far right. The lethargic summer news had already been animated by a news report in France. totally banal discussion about ‘karting’ race in prison An activity from the Paris region seen as unacceptable by Le Pen’s party. The Ultras also sought to instrumentalize the heinous murder of a teenager in October to bolster their xenophobic assumptions.
The French far right, following in the footsteps of Donald Trump, has in recent years demonizing the anti-fascist collectives. These leftist groups, which clash with the police from time to time during the demonstrations, are also subjected to harsh criticism by some sections of the Republican right and Macronism. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has tried in recent years to ban various left-wing organizations such as the Lyon Anti-Fascist Group or Nantes Revolté. Attempts frustrated by justice.