Interior Minister Manuel Valls, who has led the campaign to ban the comedian’s performances, said: ‘We cannot tolerate hatred of others, racism, anti-Semitism or holocaust denial. That is not France. This is a victory for the Republic.’

The decision marks a landmark break with legal precedent in France, where previous attempts to ban Dieudonné from performing foundered against constitutional provisions on free speech.

Victories for the Republic aren’t quite at the level of Austerlitz these days.

What French Free Speech?, January 9, 2015