An administrative tribunal in the city of Nantes on Thursday overturned a ban imposed by French authorities for the show of the controversial comedian Dieudonné, who has made headlines with anti-Semitic slogans. Dieudonné's attorney Jacques Verdier said the judge's ruling amounted to a "total victory" for his client. A statement from the court said it did not regard the show as having "an attack on human dignity as its main object", AFP reported.
During the hearing, Verdier had announced that his client would "be on stage" on Thursday night: "Whatever happens, Dieudonné will be in Nantes," he told journalists. The attorney told the judge Dieudonné was opposed to the showing of his 'quenelle' salute, which many say is an inversion of the Hitler Salute, at sites that commemorate the Holocaust and "the suffering of the Jewish people."
The comedian, who regularly pokes fun on victims of the Holocaust and lashes out against Jewish personalities, did not appear in person before the court, but according to his lawyers was on his way from Paris to Nantes. According to reports, 5,600 tickets have been sold for Thursday's performance, which was barred on Tuesday by the local prefect, the French government representative, on public order grounds.

French minister: Dieudonné's statements 'intolerable'

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Manuel Valls defended his decision to order the prefects to prevent Dieudonné's planned tour of several French cities from going ahead against criticism, but admitted that it might be rejected by the courts. "It is the job of a political leader to take risks."
Speaking in Rennes on Thursday, Valls said: "This is a political battle and not just a legal one. We must not let these intolerable statements go unanswered." The Socialist politician said Dieudonné's anti-Semitic and racist outbursts were "not an opinion, but a felony" and underlined that "the action I have undertaken has the advantage of mobilizing everyone, including the offices of the State."