Four young men were sentenced to fines while a fifth was released by the Le Mans criminal court on Monday, November 30, after incidents that occurred in December 2019 following a far-right demonstration.
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Two of them were sentenced to a fine of 300 euros and two others to a fine of 600 euros as well as a ban on carrying a weapon, for "participating in a group formed with a view to preparing for violence" .
A 25-year-old man was released.
Ages 19 to 25 years old and domiciled in Angers, Rennes, Le Mans or in the Paris region, the defendants were arrested after degradations committed against cafes deemed "left" in downtown Le Mans, including a gay bar, after a royalist gathering aimed at commemorating the “massacre” of the Vendeans during the Battle of Le Mans in December 1793, at the call of the “Vendée Souvenir”.
A small far-right “Ouest Casual” group claimed on its Facebook page the clashes with anti-fascist activists, who had gathered for a counter-demonstration.
The prosecution had requested eight months suspended prison sentence against the defendants, their lawyers, they had pleaded for release.
Militants or supporters of Action Française, these young men assured the audience that they had not directly participated in the violence, despite their equipment: brass knuckles, helmet to protect themselves and mouthguards.