Jean-Luc Mélenchon spoke from a small square in the south of the city to a crowd made up mainly of young activists. A conference in which the rebellious leader was to participate this Thursday at the University of Lille in Palestine was canceled Wednesday.
The president of the university said conditions were no longer met to guarantee the serenity of the debates. The prefect requested the cancellation of the event due to a risk of "disturbing public order." "Ah my country, ah my homeland, what are you becoming?" he proclaimed into the microphone. "NO INSOLENCE" The rebellious leader defended himself against any anti-Semitism the day before during a European campaign meeting in Roubaix. He denounced "an abuse of power of a banana republic" and "the informers, those who like to whisper in the ear of the master.'' "You have no right to silence.''