A Swiss show by French comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala will go ahead, despite controversy over his shows in France. The comedian, accused of anti-Semitism, is due in Nyon, near Geneva, in early February.
On Thursday a court in the French city of Nantes, where he starts his tour, overturned a ban on Dieudonné’s performance, which is due to start in the evening.
The French government, which is appealing the decision – a ruling is expected this evening – has accused Dieudonné of insulting the memory of Holocaust victims and threatening public order with anti-Semitic jibes.
The comic has a string of convictions for inciting hatred against Jews and is the inventor of the controversial «quenelle» hand gesture.
Dieudonné’s show had been banned by the local authorities in Nantes, following the example of other tour destinations Marseille, Bordeaux and Tours.
For Geneva lawyer Marc Bonnant, Dieudonné’s racist comments and reactions on the internet and elsewhere are unacceptable. But whether his shows should be banned – as suggested by the French Interior Minister Manuel Valls – without knowing what audiences will actually hear or see is a different matter. Freedom of expression should be the main consideration, Bonnant says.
«People are saying this show is bad based on their fears or rumours,» he said. «To ban it would be akin to punishing someone for thoughts that might be considered bad. But criminal law is not designed to punish minds, but to sanction actions.»
«In Switzerland, as in other European nations, we have legislation that punishes racism. So we have a criminal procedure, but it can only be applied after the fact.»
Nyon venue
In Nyon Dieudonné will perform his show «Le Mur» (The Wall) in a hall owned by the town. Olivier Mayor, the local councillor in charge of culture, says he has no intention of banning the comedian, for three reasons.
«First of all because we don’t want to make a victim out of him and give him what amounts to free advertising,» he told swissinfo.ch.
«Then because it’s not my role to get involved in the contracts that allow festivals, associations and producers to rent our hall. And finally I don’t want to act as a substitute for the courts, which have already dealt with Dieudonné.»
In 2009 the Swiss Federal Court struck down the city of Geneva’s refusal to rent a stage to the French comedian, de facto banning bans because freedom of expression was considered more important.
Geneva’s view
But city did not back down, according to Patrice Mugny, the politician in charge of culture at the time. «Even if we had to pay a big fine, we had promised ourselves never to let Dieudonné take the stage in Geneva, especially after what happened in 2004,» he said.
Back then the comedian was also accused of anti-Semitism after some outbursts in the French media. Geneva, one of his show venues, pondered whether to turn him away. The city finally let the performance go ahead after the Frenchman apologised to the Jewish community.
«His apologies weren’t sincere because his outbursts continued afterwards,» said Mugny. «What’s happening today shows that freedom of expression will always be a matter of debate.»
The outcry over Dieudonné’s latest show in France highlights the French government’s weaknesses, according to lawyer Bonnant.
«The French authorities can claim moral indignation, but they lack the resources and political strength to do anything about it. The reaction demonstrates that it goes far beyond defending republican values,» he said.
«The comedian gives a weakened government an excuse to avoid speaking about the country’s real problems.»
France and Switzerland
France and Switzerland have different ideas of what constitutes freedom, Bonnant noted. «France says it invented it, but how it applies freedom is a different matter, perhaps because it feels it needs to be forgiven for events in its political past,» he said.
«France still feels guilty, but it also tries to show that it repents – by comforting those it feels were hurt by history and by adopting a moral tone that expresses what it feels is good to ward off the evil deeds of the past.»
Switzerland has done a better job, Bonnant said. «We didn’t invent human rights, and there are some dark periods in our history. Our attitude towards Nazi Germany was far from exemplary,» he pointed out.
«But today Switzerland is a peaceful and stable democracy. Its politicians aren’t perpetually seeking re-election. Its freedom is contained in that peace.»