On 8th December 2022, Solidaires student.es Lille announced on social media that the University of Lille had cancelled their film debate on the chain Al Jazeera Generation Hate, scheduled for that evening. The film investigates the Lille identity bar La Citadelle, which is home to the far-right group Génération Identitaire. The university management, who failed to consult with the student union beforehand, said that its decision was made “under the weight of threats which would emanate from extreme right movements” and due to the “lack of personnel of safety and [of] a danger for the students who would have participated in this screening” . Despite the mayor of Lille repeatedly asking the prefecture to close La Citadelle, the bar remains open.
7 November 2023