French court overturns ban on comic

A French court threw out efforts by authorities to ban a show on Thursday by a comedian whom the government accuses of insulting the memory of Holocaust victims.

Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who has been leading the effort to stop a national tour by comedian Dieudonne M'bala M'bala, said he would appeal the ruling.

Local authorities in Nantes had barred the opening date of Dieudonne's tour, following the lead of other cities that also banned his shows on the grounds of risk to public order.

His lawyer Jacques Verdier said the court had suspended the ban, describing the ruling as a "total and complete victory" for his client, who has argued his right to freedom of expression was being breached.

The decision of the court is not only a setback for President Francois Hollande, who argued for regional prefects to remain "on alert and inflexible" in determining whether to ban the shows, but for Valls, who polls show is France's most popular politician for his tough law-and-order stance.

Critics say the comic's trademark straight-arm gesture is a Nazi salute in reverse. Dieudonne, 46, says it is anti-Zionist and anti-establishment, but not anti-Semitic.

Dieudonne has been repeatedly fined for hate speech.

Reuters