Les Indivisibles

Les Indivisibles is a French association founded in January 2007, notably by Rokhaya Diallo. It uses the slogan "Français sans commentaire" (French without comment) and aims to deconstruct ethno-racial prejudices and clichés through humour and irony, and to end the partitioning of French nationality based on physical appearance. The association was behind the satirical Y'a bon Awards ceremony, which rewarded statements deemed racist by public figures. The name "Les Indivisibles" is inspired by Article 1 of the French Constitution, which states that France is a secular and indivisible Republic. The association has been a member of the Stop le contrôle au faciès collective since 2011. In 2012, its president Gilles Sokoudjou described it as having nearly 300 volunteer members and having compiled over 1,500 statements violating its charter. By 2016, according to French journalists, Rokhaya Diallo was no longer a member. The association has been involved in legal cases, including against Éric Zemmour and Pascal Bruckner.

Les Indivisibles was created in January 2007, notably by Rokhaya Diallo. The association adopted the name "Les Indivisibles" and the slogan "Français sans commentaire". The name is inspired by Article 1 of the French Constitution, which states that France is a secular and indivisible Republic; the founders said they thought it should be the same for the French people. The association aims to deconstruct ethno-racial prejudices and clichés using humour and irony, and to end the partitioning of French nationality according to physical appearance. In May 2007, journalist Habibou Bangré wrote an article about Les Indivisibles, describing it as a citizen initiative that sensitises the French with humour to prejudices and clichés conveyed about their so-called "coloured" compatriots. The association was behind the satirical Y'a bon Awards ceremony, which rewarded statements deemed racist by public figures. The name of the ceremony evokes the colonial imaginary associated with Banania cocoa boxes, whose slogan until 1977 was "Y'a bon Banania" spoken by a Senegalese tirailleur. The "best" phrases were selected by a jury and the public voted for their favourites, explained Amadou Ka, president of the association. In 2012, Gilles Sokoudjou, president of the association, wrote that Les Indivisibles were created without pretension, without means, without funds, just the will of a few friends to change the situation without appearing to be preachers. He stated that the association had nearly 300 volunteer members, had written nearly 170 articles available on its website, compiled more than 1,500 statements violating their charter, and organised happenings to protest, for example, against police profiling. Since 2011, Les Indivisibles have been members of the Stop le contrôle au faciès collective. In 2015, Caroline Fourest wrote that in 2012 Les Indivisibles physically attacked one of her conferences and noted that "Les Indivisibles amalgamate all statements against fundamentalism with 'Islamophobia'". In 2015, biologist Bernard Maro considered that Les Indivisibles engage in "selective anti-racism" by claiming racialism and being obsessed with Islamophobia while ignoring anti-Semitism. In 2016, according to French journalists, Rokhaya Diallo was no longer a member of the association. The association has been involved in legal cases: following statements made in 2014 by Éric Zemmour in the Corriere della Sera newspaper, Les Indivisibles filed a civil party claim; Zemmour was initially convicted of inciting hatred against Muslims, but the conviction was annulled by the Court of Cassation in January 2018. In 2015, the association filed a defamation complaint against philosopher Pascal Bruckner, who had called Les Indivisibles and the Indigènes de la République "collabos" of Islamism, accusing them of having "ideologically justified the death of Charlie Hebdo journalists". The hearing took place on 1 December 2016; on 17 January 2017, the two plaintiff associations were dismissed. The association also filed a complaint against Jeannette Bougrab, who had linked them to the Charlie Hebdo attack; Bougrab won on appeal in March 2018.

• 2018

  In January, the Court of Cassation annuls Zemmour's conviction; in March, Jeannette Bougrab wins on appeal.

• 2017

  On 17 January, the two plaintiff associations are dismissed in the defamation case against Bruckner.

• 2016

  According to French journalists, Rokhaya Diallo is no longer a member of the association.

• 2015

  The association files a defamation complaint against Pascal Bruckner.

• 2014

  Following Éric Zemmour's statements in Corriere della Sera, the association files a civil party claim.

• 2012

  Gilles Sokoudjou states the association has nearly 300 volunteer members and has compiled over 1,500 statements.

• 2011

  Les Indivisibles join the Stop le contrôle au faciès collective.

• 2009

  Y'a bon Awards ceremony rewards public figures for statements deemed racist.

• 2007

  Association founded in January, notably by Rokhaya Diallo.

Anti-racism association using humour and irony to fight ethno-racial prejudices.

1. 1Les Indivisiblesfr.wikipedia.org
2. 2Les Indivisibleswikidata.org