Marine Le Pen Goes On Trial Charged with Anti-Muslim Hate Speech

Marine Le Pen compared Muslims praying in the streets
to the Nazi occupation of France.

THE GUARDIAN: French Front National party leader made comments at a rally in 2010, prompting anti-racism and human rights groups to bring case against her

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right Front National, is to appear in court in Lyon on hate speech charges after she compared Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation.

Four anti-racism and human rights groups have brought a case against her on charges of “incitement to discrimination, violence or hatred towards a group of people on the basis of their religion”.

The trial begins on Tuesday and it is the first time Le Pen has faced charges for hate speech, although her father and party founder, Jean-Marie Le Pen, has several convictions under the charge, including one for contesting crimes against humanity after saying the Nazi occupation of France was not “particularly inhumane”. » | Angelique Chrisafis in Paris | Tuesday, October 20, 2015