why they plan not to disappear and to flourish elsewhere in France
A prefectural decree banned an antivax poster campaign in the streets of Toulouse. The association that commissioned and financed the posters chose the pink city almost by chance. But it intends to expand its audience and continue its action well beyond the Toulouse metropolis.
On August 27, the prefect of Haute-Garonne asked for the removal of antivax posters from the streets of Toulouse. The association behind the operation, ReInfo Liberté, seized the judge in chambers to obtain a suspension of the prefectural decree.
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Text of the poster prohibited by prefectural decreeReInfo Freedom
By an order, the Administrative Court of Toulouse ruled inadmissible the summary proceedings initiated by the association targeted by the ban on the poster campaign.
It may be disappointing. But to say that one is surprised: no. All litigation arising from the health crisis is preferentially handled by the judge.
Me David GuyonLawyer for the association ReInfo Liberté
The president of ReInfo Liberté believes that the judge’s decision is not based solely on legal considerations. Vincent Pavan regrets, however, that a debate in court cannot be held.
The decision is based in law. But the judge wants to avoid a discussion on the merits. We have been in the government’s strategy from the start.
Vincent PavanPresident of the association RéInfo Liberté
Vincent Pavan stresses that his association”a need to continue to inform“. Litigation is moreover a form of communication plan. As the president of the association himself points out, “the removal of the posters was requested when the campaign was to stop“.
Going to court is a way of existing and getting people to talk about the association. But it is also, and even above all, a way to “jump” a legal lock and prevent other orders from being taken in other departments.
With regard to Toulouse, a suspension of the prefectural decree is not of practical interest for ReInfo Liberté. Anyway, the posters were going to be withdrawn because the contract with the poster was going to end when the prefectural ax fell.
The association chose the pink city almost by chance. A local ReInfo Covid group managed to find a Toulouse display. This is the only reason why the association was able to appear in the streets of the Metropolis.
The avowed objective of the president of the association is to repeat poster campaigns throughout France. Vincent Pavan has also made contact with billboards. But he comes up against an obstacle: the prefectural decree taken in Haute-Garonne. This risks making “jurisprudence” and it can lead other prefects, elsewhere in France, to take the same type of decision. To avoid this, the association multiplies the recourses.
The association’s lawyer also announces an appeal in cassation before the Council of State. Me David Guyon specifies that he is not “confident” in the chances of success. But he adds, “the idea is to go before the European Court of Human Rights and there, it can hit the mark“.
Another remedy already exists. An appeal for abuse of power has been filed in order to request the cancellation of the prefectural decree. But there again, the association’s lawyer is pessimistic. “He there won’t be a decision for 8 or 16 months”, says Me David Guyon.
In the meantime, posters are still present in the streets of the Toulouse metropolis.
About twenty posters are present in the streets. One of them is even next to the central police station in Toulouse. The lawyer for the ReInfo Liberté association and its president claim that all the posters that were to be removed have been removed.
For the moment, it does not depend at all on us.
Vincent PavanPresident of the association RéInfo Liberté
Vincent Pavan believes that it is “citizens who have appropriated their own freedom of expression and who do free posting”. The posters in question are the same as those prohibited by the prefectural decree. For the president of ReInfo Liberté, “citizens went online and made copies of the posters” from the Association.