Mysterious bar collective in Caen sought to ban French Canon

On April 18, the French Canon organization held its “Norman Banquet” at the Caen exhibition center, a day of festive conviviality that drew fierce criticism from the left, particularly France Insoumise. According to Valeurs Actuelles, the event itself passed without significant incident, based on police activity reports from that day.

The controversy erupted that night when France Insoumise parliamentarian Emma Fourreau relayed multiple accusations targeting participants’ behavior in the city center after the banquet concluded. The allegations included racist remarks, Nazi salutes, and aggressive conduct. While local press coverage amplified these claims, the affair initially appeared to be driven primarily by the local far left.

Three weeks later, a collective letter arrived at city hall that changed the narrative. Signed by managers of some twenty bars and restaurants under the banner of a mysterious “Caen bars collective,” the text denounced observed or reported misconduct and demanded that such banquets not be permitted in the future. This seemed far more serious than political posturing. The Interior Minister himself would later cite this merchant mobilization before the Senate as seemingly irrefutable testimony of disorder caused by the banquet.

Yet at Caen’s city hall, the letter came as a surprise. It marked the first time this collective had made itself known, despite the fact that no material or human damage had actually been reported. Valeurs Actuelles investigated who was behind this “Caen bars collective,” and the findings proved revealing.

Scattered Incidents, Not Widespread Chaos

The facts denounced in the letter overlap partially but appear far more limited than the text suggests. Staff at Chez Paulette, a downtown establishment that signed the letter, reported seeing what they described as highly suspect salutes from a group of about fifteen people. However, the manager nuanced this account, noting that another group from the banquet behaved properly. After 5:30 PM, no notable incidents occurred, he specified.

A neighboring establishment that did not sign the letter confirmed that participants had stopped by while downplaying the situation. People who had spent the day drinking came in during the evening wanting to continue, the manager explained, but were refused service. There were no further problems.

Complaints concentrated primarily on Rue Écuyère, a student and party district. Several merchants contacted, whether signatories or not, confirmed racist or inappropriate remarks and disturbing behavior. One described how participants occupied the street and bothered everyone, much like football supporters might. Yet even here, accounts varied by location. A few meters away on the same street, other merchants said they noticed nothing particular except slightly larger crowds than usual.

These apparently contradictory testimonies suggest the reality: one or two groups did behave badly that evening at specific times, without the vast majority of French Canon banquet participants being involved. This falls far short of the Nazi horde denounced by France Insoumise.

Political Motivations Behind the Letter

Another detail raises questions about the letter’s authenticity. Several signatory establishments were not affected by any disturbances, being located far from the city center. The Café du Théâtre manager acknowledged observing no misconduct and said she signed at the request of the manager of La Tomate, a neighboring establishment. The same situation applied to Spark, located more than a kilometer from downtown—a seventeen-minute walk and very far from the sporadic incidents that occurred near Rue Écuyère.

At the bar Chez Gisèle, management also acknowledged witnessing nothing directly. The manager stated that the establishment signed the letter in support of targeted establishments from which they had received alerts, messages, and complaints in real time, adding that being outside the city center clearly saved their evening. At Newport Café, the same pattern emerged—the establishment was not directly impacted, with the owner noting the signature came through the servers’ network.

In reality, nearly half of the twenty signatories are located outside the zone where incidents were observed. Even within the affected area, some acknowledged signing out of solidarity—essentially through peer pressure. One signatory manager explained that she was not present that evening but signed because she was told others were doing so.

Further investigation revealed that several signatory establishments are known for their left-wing political orientation. La Tomate, which appears to have initiated the letter, regularly hosts France Insoumise events and progressive gatherings. Other signatories have similarly documented left-wing affiliations, transforming what was presented as a spontaneous merchant outcry into what appears to be a politically coordinated campaign.

The episode illustrates how isolated incidents can be weaponized through selective testimony and political networking to create a false narrative of widespread disorder, particularly when amplified by sympathetic media and politicians seeking to stigmatize conservative gatherings.

With information from Valeurs Actuelles