A major gathering of Muslims in northern Paris is going ahead as planned after a French court overturned a government bid to ban it.
The Paris police department argued that the four-day Annual Encounter of Muslims of France was a security threat because it could be a target of terrorism.
But the organisers – the Muslims of France (MF) association – sought an emergency injunction to let the event go ahead, arguing that a ban would be a breach of basic liberties.
The administrative court agreed and overturned the government decree, just two hours before the planned 14:00 (13:00 BST) opening.
The court stated that elements provided by police "did not establish the risk of counter-demonstrations, or that the gathering would be targeted by far-right groups".
It also dismissed the argument that the event would pose an unacceptable strain on police resources, noting that the organisers had themselves assured extra security.
Part cultural and religious conference, part trade fair, the gathering used to be an annual event, but has not been held since 2019. Before that it regularly drew tens of thousands of people from across Europe.
The Muslims of France association - France's biggest Muslim body - is accused by critics of having ties to the international Muslim Brotherhood, which they deny.
Earlier, in justifying the ban, the Paris police department expressed concerns about the event being exposed to an important terrorist risk towards the Muslim community amid a particularly tense national and international context.
In their justification, the police noted that small far-right groups might mobilize to disrupt the event, and there were claims that actions against the gathering could be influenced by foreign powers, particularly Russia and Iran, stirring up dissension.
The ban was enacted as France proposed a new anti-separatism law, predominantly targeting Muslim organizations perceived to promote ideas against the principles of the republic.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated that this law aimed to complement previous regulations that allowed the government to close associations accused of promoting Islamic separatism.
The MF's lawyer Sefen Guez Guez argued during the injunction hearing that the prohibition was a “manifest breach of the right to assemble” and suggested it appeared designed to front the upcoming legislation.
Meanwhile, a police lawyer maintained that the sole purpose of the ban was to preserve public order and was not an anti-Muslim or anti-Islam decree.
