PARIS (AP) \u2014 The French government is banning activist groups on the edges of the political spectrum as it tries to portray itself as the guardian of democracy against extremism. That\u2019s prompting accusations of Islamophobia from rivals on the left, and of plagiarism from the far right.<\/p>\n
And like much of French politics right now, the latest moves are intertwined with jockeying by political rivals ahead of 2027 presidential elections.<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Macron<\/a> won\u2019t be able to stand for re-election in 2027 after serving as president for the maximum two terms, and presidential hopefuls are trying to make the most of a highly inflammatory political context, both on the domestic and international stages. <\/p>\n As extreme political forces made significant gains<\/a> in recent parliamentary elections, leaving a fractured legislature, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau \u2014 a senior member of the government who is eager to succeed Macron \u2014 is hitting out at various groups to show his credentials. <\/p>\n On Wednesday, Retailleau confirmed plans for the dissolution of the Urgence Palestine group, a collective calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza which has accused Israel of genocide. During an interview with Europe 1-CNews, Retailleau said that banning the group was a blow to \u201cIslamism.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cIslamism is an ideology that tries to use a religion as a tool,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to hit Islamism so that we can protect our Muslim compatriots.\u201d<\/p>\n The planned dissolution of Urgence Palestine is the latest move in the French government\u2019s strategy to bring down groups deemed as extremists. Retailleau told the lower house of the Parliament this week that he started a similar procedure against a left-wing movement called the antifascist Young Guard.<\/p>\n That group, which is supported by political figures from the hard left, was created in Lyon in response to the growing presence of far-right activists in the city. Retailleau said he is also seeking the dissolution of a group close to the \u201cultra-right\u201d movement called Lyon Populaire.<\/p>\n The interior minister is a hardline conservative working within the centrist government of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou. Retailleau is bidding to become the leader of Les R\u00e9publicains and represent his party at the 2027 presidential election. <\/p>\n Racist and antisemitic acts<\/p>\n Retailleau\u2019s announcements came on the eve of the May Day celebrations, which are often marred by violence on the sidelines of events marking International Workers\u2019 Day, and amid a surge in antisemitic and islamophobic incidents in Europe<\/a> against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war.<\/p>\n