For several years, the municipal majority in Toulouse has been escalating its positions in support of Israeli apartheid. In this context, the mayor of Toulouse, Jean-Luc Moudenc, has made multiple attacks on the activities of the Collectif Palestine Vaincra, asking for the ban of our Palestine Stands or gatherings organized alongside many associations for justice in Palestine. The Collectif Palestine Vaincra is a member organization of the Samidoun Network.
Faced with these attacks on the rights to demonstrate and freedom of expression, several officials from the municipal opposition parties expressed their indignation at the threats of the Toulouse municipality against Palestine activism in the city.
In a press release published on 4 January, the Groupe Alternative pour une Métropole Citoyenne – Ville Toulouse affirmed: “Article 100 of the Constitution provides that ‘freedom of expression, including the right to obtain, retain and to distribute information and to express opinions, is guaranteed to all.’ This is why we are contesting the Toulouse town hall’s right to set itself up as a censor.” It goes on to note: “The boycott of a state is a mode of action that has borne fruit, as was the case with South Africa during apartheid. “ This opposition group brings together elected representatives Agathe Roby, Maxime Le Texier, Aymeric Deheurles, Jamal El Arch, Caroline Honvault, Odile Maurin and François Piquemal.
In addition, the opposition municipal councillor Odile Maurin published a tweet on 21 December declaring: “Let’s boycott Israel as we once did South Africa, while denouncing and fighting against anti-Semitism: let’s not mix everything up!”
La mairie de Toulouse et les partisans de l’apartheid israélien veulent faire taire le @CollectifPV https://t.co/dcqFkYElN4
Soutien personnel : boycottons Israel comme autrefois l'Afrique du sud, tout en dénonçant et luttant contre l'antisémitisme : ne mélangeons pas tout!— Odile MAURIN (@odile31) December 21, 2021
For his part, the elected city councillor Jamal El Arch also published a supportive tweet denouncing the attacks on freedom of expression on the part of the municipal majority, recalling that “Maxime Boyer [deputy mayor of Toulouse] seems to forget freedom of expression in attacking the Collectif Palestine Vaincra. For the AMC Group, this principle is one of the fundamentals of legally guaranteed democracy. Boycotting a state is a mode of action against apartheid.”
@MaximeBoyer31 semble oublier la liberté d’expression en attaquant @CollectifPV.Pour @GroupeAMC ce principe est un des fondements de la démocratie juridiquement garanti. #boycott d’état mode d’action contre l’apartheid. Pour une paix durable, application du droit.
— El Arch Jamal (@ElArchJamal1) December 23, 2021
The Collectif Palestine Vaincra welcomes these positions in defense of freedom of expression and the right to boycott Israel and confront colonialism, racism and apartheid.
Source: Collectif Palestine Vaincra
