After Youtube, Facebook bans convicted French anti-Semite Dieudonné

Convicted anti-Semite Dieudonné's shows rail against a 'Zionist' conspiracy © DR

Facebook permanently banned Dieudonné, a convicted anti-Semite, from both its main site as well as from Instagram. The company accuses the French comedian of using ‘dehumanising terms against Jews’.

'In line with our policy on dangerous individuals and organisations, we have permanently banned Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala from Facebook and Instagram', Facebook announced on Monday.

France's Minister of Equality Elisabeth Moreno hailed the move and hoped for 'more such decisions'.

'Let there be no compromise with hatred!' she tweeted.

Toutes les formes de discours incitant à la haine et au racisme doivent être bannies des réseaux sociaux. Je salue la décision de @FacebookFR et j'en espère d'autres. Soyons intransigeants face à la haine ! https://t.co/MNcNhtDDqI

— Élisabeth Moreno (@1ElisaMoreno) August 3, 2020

‘Dehumanising’ Jews

Facebook said some of Dieudonné’s posts used ‘dehumanising terms against Jews’.

Dieudonné’s opponents accuse him of blunt racism, while his die-hard followers claim his right to free speech.

The performer is infamous for a trademark hand gesture called the ‘quenelle’.

Largely interpreted as an inverted Nazi salute, the ‘quenelle’ gesture is defended by Dieudonné and his partisans as being ‘anti-establishment’.

'The end of freedom' on the Internet

In his usual provocative manner, Dieudonné reacted through his Twitter account to denounce the 'lobbies' who supposedly 'cherish the end of freedom on the Internet'.

Twitter and Telegram are now Dieudonné's main surviving social media outlets.

Repeat offender

Dieudonné’s shows rail against the ‘Zionist lobby’ which he claims controls the world. The French government has tried on several occasions to shut down these performances.

He has a long list of convictions in France and in Belgium

Recently fined 9,000 euros for posting an anti-Semitic video, Dieudonné had previously received a two-month suspended jail term for sympathising with a jihadist.

He was also convicted and sentenced for tax fraud and money-laundering.