Social Bastion (French: Bastion Social) was a French political movement founded in 2017 by former members of the far-right student association Groupe Union Défense (GUD) and dissolved by official decree in 2019 after several racially motivated attacks committed by its members.[1] The movement advocated nativism and remigration.[2][3]

Social Bastion
Bastion Social
PredecessorGroupe Union Défense
FormationJune 2017; 7 years ago (2017-06)
FounderSteven Bissuel
DissolvedApril 24, 2019; 5 years ago (2019-04-24)
HeadquartersLyon
LeaderValentin Linder

Inspired by the Italian movement CasaPound, with which they maintained ties, Social Bastion used similar political actions such as squatting, demonstrations, and humanitarian aid restricted to white homeless people.[4][2][5] The group was also close to the Belgian Nation Movement and the Swiss Résistance Helvétique.[6]

History

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Social Bastion was founded in 2017 by Steven Bissuel, a former president of the GUD in Lyon, and later spread to other French cities such as Chambéry, Strasbourg, Aix-en-Provence, Clermont-Ferrand and Marseille.[7] Valentin Linder became its new leader in 2018.[8][9]

Social Bastion was banned by the French government on 24 April 2019, along with six other far-right groups, due to the involvement of several of its members in acts of violence.[1][10][11] Despite this, the movement has survived under different structures, growing from 6 to 15 local branches.[8][12] As of November 2020, legal proceedings are under way for "reconstitution of a disbanded group".[12]

Convictions

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On 12 December 2017, a leader of the Strasburg branch of Bastion Social was convicted to 8 months in prison for the assault of a young man of Algerian origin.[13] On 27 June 2018, two founding members of the Marseille branch were convicted to 6 months in prison for the aggression of an off-duty gendarme and a Black Guadeloupean man.[14] In October 2018, a member of the Clermont-Ferrand branch was convicted to 1 year in prison for two racially motivated attacks.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Suc, Matthieu; Turchi, Marine (21 February 2019). "La dissolution du Bastion social était déjà engagée depuis deux mois". Mediapart (in French).
  2. ^ a b Fauquembergue, Anne (10 April 2018). ""Bastion Social" : stratégie et limites d'un nouveau mouvement de l'ultra-droite". France Culture (in French).
  3. ^ Soullier, Lucie (6 November 2018). "Le local du groupuscule d'extrême droite Bastion social fermé par la ville de Lyon". Le Monde (in French).
  4. ^ Barthélemy, Hélène (14 February 2018). "How to write history like an Identitarian". Southern Poverty Law Center.
  5. ^ Magal, Marylou (19 March 2018). "Bastion social : les habits neufs de l'extrême droite radicale". Le Point (in French).
  6. ^ Rossier, Roland (31 March 2018). "Des ultranationalistes se sont réunis à Genève". Tribune de Genève (in French). ISSN 1010-2248.
  7. ^ Suc, Matthieu; Turchi, Marine (5 June 2018). ""Bastion social": les secrets du nouveau GUD". Mediapart (in French).
  8. ^ a b Plottu, Pierre (29 October 2019). "Le mouvement néofasciste Bastion social renaît de ses cendres". Slate (in French).
  9. ^ Krempp, Guillaume (21 September 2018). "Le président du Bastion Social Strasbourg prend la tête du mouvement national". Rue89 Strasbourg (in French).
  10. ^ AFP (24 April 2019). "Le mouvement d'ultradroite Bastion social dissout en Conseil des ministres". L'Obs (in French).
  11. ^ Belaich, Charlotte (24 April 2019). "Le gouvernement dissout le Bastion social et six de ses antennes". Libération.
  12. ^ a b Suc, Matthieu; Turchi, Marine; Bourdon, Sébastien (18 November 2020). "Dissous, le Bastion social se reconstitue sous de nouvelles identités". Mediapart (in French).
  13. ^ Poivret, Aurélien (13 December 2017). "Strasbourg - Violences après le lancement du Bastion social. Deux identitaires condamnés". Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French).
  14. ^ Leroux, Luc (28 June 2018). "Deux fondateurs du Bastion social condamnés à Marseille". Le Monde (in French).
  15. ^ Ledys, Jean-Baptiste (19 October 2018). "Justice - Qui sont les militants du Bastion social qui ont été condamnés ce vendredi à Clermont-Ferrand ?". La Montagne.