Past as Prologue: Safari Club Illuminates Candace Owens’ Allegations

Freddie Ponton | 21st Century Wire

When high-profile American podcaster Candace Owens publicly alleged that a state-sanctioned French assassination plot (with at least one Israeli operative involved) was being planned, most would have written it off as a publicity stunt or paranoid rantings. Yet, for anyone who knows the shadowy history of multinational intelligence alliances, her claim shouldn't be dismissed so easily. In 1976, the Safari Club, run from secret rooms in Cairo, staffed by French Foreign Legion veterans, Egyptian Sa'ka commandos, Israeli operatives, CIA operatives and other criminal actors, showed the world that states could collaborate beyond borders, laws, and scrutiny. Unproven as Owens' allegation may seem, the historical record of such clandestine activities makes this story not merely imaginable, but very possible. And that is why Owens' accusation, as wild as it may seem, lands squarely on covert terrain shaped by decades of clandestine activities conducted by a consortium capable of operating across borders and beyond oversight. To understand why her recent claim didn't dissipate on impact, one has to understand the secret architecture of parallel intelligence constructs such as the Safari Club and the long shadow it still casts.

When Candace Owens claimed on X that a "high‑ranking French government insider" warned her of an imminent plot to have her assassinated, alleging that President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte had "authorized and financed" the operation, assigning it to a small National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN) team that included an Israeli operative. She also suggested that "Charlie Kirk's assassin trained with the French Legion 13th brigade with multi-state involvement". The claim sounded like it belonged to the realm of conspiracy thrillers, and yet, as the allegation ricocheted across social media, something unusual happened: people did not instinctively laugh it off. Some dismissed it, yes. But many hesitated, paused, or quietly admitted that, given the right circumstances, given the right network of covert actors, such a plot didn't feel entirely impossible.

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Anti-Russian Propaganda and Preparation for War Against Russia

Thierry Meyssan | Voltairenet.org

While deep state propaganda convinces public opinion that Russia is evil, armies are being prepared for war before our very eyes. The Chief of Staff of the French Army, General Pierre Schill, has just announced to the National Assembly that he is preparing for the next war against Russia. Meanwhile, the Polish Deputy Prime Minister has announced that he will intercept Vladimir Putin's presidential plane. Alone against all his allies, Donald Trump is trying to preserve world peace.

The confrontation between President Donald Trump and the coalition of British, American, Israeli, and Ukrainian deep states is likely to extend to the Far East. In Japan, Sanae Takaichi has just formed a LDP (Liberal Democratic Party) government thanks to his alliance with the Innovation Party, which shares his warmongering views.

Far East

Although Prime Minister Takaichi is the first woman to hold this office, she is nonetheless a champion of "Japanese imperialism" from the Showa era. Barely inaugurated, she announced her intention to rewrite the National Defense Strategy (NDS), the Defense Enhancement Program (DBP), and the National Security Strategy (NSS). These texts are, in principle, updated every ten years, but will be reformed seven years ahead of schedule.

Sanae Takaichi claims that she simply wants to honor President Trump's wish that each US ally devote 5% of its GDP to defense; everyone has understood that she wants to restore the Emperor's army, amend the Constitution to end Japanese neutrality, and attack the Korean Peninsula and the People's Republic of China.

To be clear, her predecessor and outgoing Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, sent an offering to the Yasukuni Shrine in memory of Japanese criminals against humanity. Ishiba is the largest private collector of World War II memorabilia. His home is a shrine to war criminals.

Ms. Takaichi certainly did not go to the Yasukuni Shrine this year, unlike in previous years. She refrained from using anything too provocative, and Shigeru Ishiba went there very rarely. But she did appoint seven men from among the parliamentarians corrupted by the Moon sect as ministers and secretaries of state.

Following the assassination of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on July 8, 2022, by a victim of the Moon sect, the police discovered that she had not only bribed him, but also parliamentarians from her own party, the Liberal Democratic Party. In previous years, she had paid them half a billion dollars. Yes, half a billion dollars. The largest parliamentary corruption scandal in history; a scandal that remains unsolved and has only led to three indictments.

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The Mthethwa Case: Unravelling a Diplomatic Tragedy's Darker Questions

Anda Mbikwana | The Star (South Africa)

The death of South African Ambassador Nathi Mthethwa in a Paris hotel has thrust uncomfortable questions into public discourse: questions not just about how a senior diplomat died, but about what his death might reveal regarding the state of governance, investigative integrity, and institutional safety in South Africa.

While French authorities conduct their investigation, South Africans are left grappling with a narrative that feels disturbingly familiar — another prominent figure connected to sensitive inquiries, another unexpected death, another round of speculation about whether the official story holds water.

What we know is limited but significant. Ambassador Mthethwa was found after falling from his hotel room. A window was forced open. He had allegedly sent a "disturbing message" beforehand. He was connected to investigations touching on corruption involving high-level figures.

What we do not know is everything that matters: the content of that message, who might have had access to his room, what security protocols were in place, and crucially, what specific evidence or testimony he might have possessed.

The forced window presents the most glaring anomaly. Modern hotels — particularly those hosting diplomatic personnel — typically have windows designed against accidental opening.

For such a window to be "forced open" suggests either determined intent from within or external interference. Neither scenario comfortably supports a straightforward suicide narrative.

South Africa has witnessed a troubling pattern over the past decade: individuals connected to corruption investigations, whistle-blowers, and those positioned to provide damaging testimony have died under circumstances ranging from suspicious to inexplicable. 

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We don't have control of our borders, admits home secretary

Sky News

The government does not currently have control of Britain's borders, the home secretary will admit today.

Shabana Mahmood is hosting counterparts from the Western Balkans and other European allies in London, and will demand greater international co-operation to tackle small boat crossings.

The summit is designed to ensure nations on the continent strike new deals to tackle illegal migration, following Britain's "one in, one out" agreement with France signed earlier this year.

Calling for a "joined-up" response to the challenge, Ms Mahmood will say "coming together as we are today [...] will make all of our borders and our countries stronger".

In the meantime, however, the government has failed "to bring order to our borders".

"The citizens of each of our countries have a very simple expectation of us," Ms Mahmood will say. "The public rightly expect their government will be able to determine who enters their country, and who must leave.

"Today, in this country, and I know in many if not all of yours, that is not the case. And the failure to bring order to our borders is eroding trust not just in us as political leaders, but in the credibility of the state itself."

The Western Balkans is a major transit route for people smuggling across borders, the Home Office says, with some 22,000 people transported last year.

Many of the asylum seekers who cross the Channel had ended up in France via several other European countries, journeying across the continent after leaving their homes in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

Today's summit of European ministers will include representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, Germany, Greece, Kosovo, Poland, Serbia, and others.

Ms Mahmood will reject the approach of those she will say "turn inwards" to deal with immigration, as both the Conservatives and Reform tout the prospect of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.

But Tory shadow home secretary Chris Philp dismissed the tone of Ms Mahmood's comments, pointing to the record numbers of migrants crossing the Channel this year.

The increase, and the use of hotels to accommodate them, drove anti-immigration protests across the UK over the summer months. The government wants to close all such hotels by the next general election.

In addition to trying to tackle people smuggling, ministers have also announced policies to bring down legal immigration, with a requirement to learn English to A-level standard outlined in parliament on Tuesday.

"If you come to this country, you must learn our language and play your part," Ms Mahmood said.

It's expected to come into force after 4 November.

France will soon be in trouble

Comment: Like most of Europe....Which is of course, the plan...

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Lorenzo Maria Pacini | Strategic Culture Foundation

 

Old European powers

In recent decades, Germany has been the economic engine of Europe, while France has been its political, cultural, and military heart. Political because of its balancing role and permanent seat on the UN Security Council; cultural because of its universalist vision; military because of its status as a nuclear power. Together with the United Kingdom, republican France has maintained and exercised power over the whole of Europe, in concert with US military power.

Today, however, France is increasingly seen as a cause for concern.

Let's take it step by step. First of all, the financial markets consider it fragile and unstable, with the focus on its 50-year-high debt and unpromising economic prospects. This crisis is also political: the French have lost confidence in both the government and the opposition, convinced that the ruling class has betrayed the fundamental interests of the nation, reducing itself to a mouthpiece for European and American financial interests.

Former Prime Minister François Bayrou, after consulting with the Élysée Palace, called for a vote of confidence on the 2026 budget law, which included cuts of €44 billion. The National Assembly rejected the proposal, causing the fall of his government and the rapid appointment of Sébastien Lecornu as the new prime minister. Emmanuel Macron's decision to reject the dissolution of the Assembly or a referendum allowed him to avoid a popular vote, an important choice for a president who enjoys only 17% approval ratings.

The 2024 legislative elections saw the New Popular Front win 182 seats, Ensemble (Macron's bloc) 168, and the National Rally 143. Turnout exceeded 67%, the highest level since 1981.

On the government front, Élisabeth Borne was prime minister for 20 months (May 2022-January 2024), followed by Gabriel Attal (January-September 2024), who remained in office for about eight months. After the early elections, the government led by Michel Barnier was short-lived, replaced first by Bayrou and then by Lecornu.

This instability reflects political fragmentation and the impossibility of building solid majorities.

Lecornu inherits a complex economic situation: $3.345 trillion in debt, high unemployment, bankrupt companies, and growing impoverishment of the working classes. Macron, in his two terms, exacerbated the problem by increasing debt and dismantling public services, replacing them with expensive private consultants such as McKinsey. 

 

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French hospitals told to prepare for war in Europe by next year in leaked Government letter

Comment:  "One section of the manual recommended closing doors in the event of a nuclear accident". 

Nuclear missile incoming!!! It's alright honey, just close the patio doors, we'll be ok.

Idiocracy reigns.  Moreover, we might get the sense that US-NATO deep state powers are planning a major false flag in Europe possibly using a smart nuclear device. 

 Recent attempts to draw Poland into the war is an indication... 

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The Independent | Steffie Banatvala

French hospitals have been told to prepare a potential armed conflict in Europe by next year, local media reported.

In a letter sent to regional health agencies, revealed by Le Canard Enchaîné, the Ministry of Health asked hospitals to prepare for a "major (military) engagement" by March 2026.

The newspaper warned that between 10,000 and 50,000 men could be expected in hospitals over a period of 10 to 180 days.

"In the current international context, it is necessary to anticipate the modalities of health support in situations of high-intensity conflict," the Ministry of Health reportedly wrote in the document. Health Minister Catherine Vautrin did not deny the details outlined in the letter or its existence in an interview with French broadcaster BFMTV. She told the broadcaster:

"It's part of preparation, like strategic stockpiles, like epidemics. I wasn't in office at the time of Covid-19, remember, there were no words harsh enough to describe the country's lack of preparedness. It is perfectly normal for the country to anticipate crises and the consequences of what is happening. This is part of the responsibility of central government."

The letter, dated 18 July, reportedly said France could form the rear base for a large-scale conflict in coming months. It added that the Ministry of Health is considering setting up medical centres near ports or airports so that soldiers can be "redirected" to their home countries.

The document comes just months after France outlined plans to send a 20-page 'survival manual' to every household.

The manual reportedly laid out instructions on preparation for an "imminent threat", including a natural disaster, health crisis or armed conflict. The French government said at the time it is not focussed on armed conflict.

It also suggests items people should have as part of a "survival kit", including at least six litres of bottled water, 10 cans of food, a torch, batteries, and medical supplies including saline solution, compresses and paracetamol.

One section of the manual recommended closing doors in the event of a nuclear accident.

In July, President Emmanuel Macron announced a plan to push forward France's defence spending, pledging to double the military budget by 2027.

A military budget that stood at 32 billion euros ($37.40 billion) in 2017 will rise to 64 billion euros by 2027, with an additional 3.5 billion euros allocated for next year and another 3 billion euros in 2027.  

‘Sad sight’, ‘disgrace’ to see French minister caught throwing lavish parties on taxpayer money

Comment: Hardly shocking. This happens across the length and breadth of the European Union elite. It's merely business as usual. No wonder Britain wants to separate. Lying about it is also par for the (main) course.

----------------------------

RT

A senior official in France finds himself embroiled in controversy after claims he used public funds to throw lavish parties with vintage wine and exquisite meals. His attitude leaves a stain on French politics, analysts told RT. 

Ecology Minister Francois de Rugy often campaigns for government transparency and has criticized other politicians involved in financial scandals. He got a taste of his own medicine earlier this week when investigative website Mediapart alleged that he hosted more than 10 luxurious dinner parties in which the guests enjoyed lobster, as well as fine wine and champagne – all paid for with taxpayer money. This reportedly took place when de Rugy was the head of the lower house of the French parliament, the National Assembly.

The scandal prompted calls for de Rugy to resign, which he refused to do. He dismissed the story as a “grotesque” smear, claiming he does not eat lobster due to a “shellfish allergy” and avoids champagne because it gives him “a headache.”

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Facebook's 'Please Regulate Us' Tour Heads To France

Mike Masnick
Techdirt

On Friday, Mark Zuckerberg went to France, just in time for the French government to release a vague and broad proposal to regulate social media networks. Similar to Zuckerberg's pleas to Congress to ramp up its regulation of the company (and because he knows that any pushback on regulations will likely be slammed by the world of Facebook-haters), Zuckerberg tried to embrace the plans.

"It's going to be hard for us, there are going to be things in there we disagree with, that's natural," Zuckerberg said. "But in order for people to trust the internet overall and over time, there needs to be the right regulation put in place."

He also said that he was "encouraged and optimistic about the regulatory framework that will be put in place." 

What is that regulatory framework? Well, it's pretty vague. It also has PowerPoint artwork that looks like it was designed decades ago by someone who has no business being anywhere near PowerPoint:

To its credit, the plan does recognize that "freedom of expression" is a key value that needs to be protected, as well as freedom for innovation, but then also says those need to be balanced with a protection from harm. The key issue, as we've seen in other such plans is that it creates what people are referring to as a "duty of care" for social media -- requiring the company to "protect" users and allows regulators to somehow step in if they feel the company isn't succeeding (as if that won't be abused).

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French Muslim support of the Yellow Vests ignored by media

Ramin Mazaheri
The Saker Blog

Even though the Yellow Vest anti-government movement is historic in scope, duration and intensity, and even though Muslims compose 5-10% of France’s population, there has been almost zero media coverage of the interplay between these two forces.

Check Google in French or English and you truly find almost nothing. I have been waiting and waiting to do a story on this angle for Iran’s PressTV – I am their Paris correspondent – but there is simply no “news peg” from which we can start any report.

The reasons for this silence are due to a four key reasons but, mostly, it’s because the plight of Muslims and Yellow Vests are so obviously similar: just as French media ignores the Muslim community to promote violent misrepresentations instead, so they ignore the true substance of the Yellow Vests in favor of tabloid coverage.

For years I have talked with Nagib Azergui, who is the founder of the Democratic Union of French Muslims (English-language website here). This party is the most realistic political hope for France’s Muslims, and they seem certain to win seats in next month’s EU elections. They are not Islamists nor pushers of divisive identity politics – they are completely concerned with improving the lives of all French people. Secondarily, they have taken on a tough job – decontaminating Muslims in domestic French politics.

Azergui and I discussed why there is no media coverage of the Muslim Yellow Vests, and the level of support for the Yellow Vests in the French Muslim community.


French Muslims are indeed joining the Yellow Vests

I have covered the Yellow Vest demonstrations for months and I can assure you: there are plenty of Muslim Yellow Vests.

So why is there an impression that Muslims are not part of the movement? About the only thing we ever hear on the subject is: What a pity more Muslims didn’t show up.

“We heard the same complaints for the ‘Je Suis Charlie’ march for Charlie Hebdo,” said Azergui, referring to the attack on the satirical paper’s headquarters in 2015. “I was at the march with my children, and I saw many Muslims there.” 

Azergui hits the nail on the head as to why Muslim Yellow Vests are hiding in plain sight from French media, which is hardly known for positive portrayals of Islam or Muslims.

“I think such statements reveal the subconscious image these commentators have of French Muslims – they expect us to show up wearing burkas, beards, African clothing, chanting slogans in Arabic and carrying signs in Arabic. But these types of Muslims are simply not representative of the average Muslim in France.”

So the first reason behind this false idea that there are no Muslim Yellow Vests is that many commentators are looking for caricatures – not French Muslims.

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Yellow Vests Return to Streets of Paris Enraged by Billions Donated to Rebuild Notre Dame

Common Dreams

"Victor Hugo thanks all the generous donors ready to save Notre Dame and proposes that they do the same thing with Les Miserables."

The contrast between the French government's and upper class's response to Monday's fire at Notre Dame and ongoing inaction to combat income inequality, was a primary driver of mass protests in Paris on Saturday.

The Gilets Jaunes, or Yellow Vests, staged their first major protest since large portions of the historic cathedral burned, apparently due to an electrical short-circuit, to call attention to the €1 billion ($1.1 billion) that the country's richest families have donated to help rebuild the church, months after the yellow vest movement began demonstrating against income inequality.

"You're there, looking at all these millions accumulating, after spending five months in the streets fighting social and fiscal injustice. It's breaking my heart," Ingrid Levavasseur, a founder of the movement, told the Associated Press.

France 24 noted that many members of the Yellow Vest movement—which began in rural areas last fall when many struggling French people demonstrated against high fuel costs and President Emanuel Macron's generous tax cuts for the rich, and has since gathered support from a number of ideological groups—mourned earlier this week along with the rest of the country as news of the heavily damaged 674-year-old church spread.

"Some of the activists said they cried in front of their TV sets as they watched the Gothic architectural masterpiece being consumed by flames Monday night and some even made small donations for the restoration of the iconic building, despite their struggles to make ends meet," reported the outlet.

But grief turned to anger for many, Levavasseur said, as the Yellow Vests watched donations pour in and Macron call for the church to be repaired within five years, exacerbating the perception of many that he is a "president for the rich."

"What happened at Notre-Dame is obviously a deplorable tragedy. But nobody died," Levavasseur told France 24. "I've heard someone speaking of national mourning. Are they out of their minds?" 

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Huge turnouts across France for 21st straight weekend of Yellow Vest protests

Comment: Largely ignored by mainstream media...

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RT

More than a dozen people have been arrested as Yellow Vest protesters flood the streets of French cities, marking the 21st consecutive week of mass demonstrations against President Emmanuel Macron and his government.

Some 21 protesters were arrested in Paris on Saturday morning, local media reported, citing police. Eric Drouet, one of the leaders of the Yellow Vests, was fined 135 euro ($150) for violating public protest laws. The ruling was slammed by his lawyer who said that "if Drouet wants to have a cup of coffee at the Champs-Elysees, he has an absolute right to do so."

Nevertheless, the rallies in the French capital and elsewhere remain largely peaceful. The Yellow Vests are singing songs and holding placards as they march to denounce the policies of Emmanuel Macron and demand his resignation. 

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Facebook Teams up With Mainstream Media to Directly Censor News Websites

Joe Quinn
Sott.net

Several days ago I received a Facebook notification that content shared on the French Sott.net website Facebook page (Les Signes des Temps) had been "rated false by an independent fact-checker."

Clicking on the notification produced this pop-up window...

...where I was informed that fr.sott.net shared content that had been reviewed by someone called 'Les Décodeurs du Monde' and that they found it to be "false". Included was a link to the offending article on the fr.sott.net FB page, a link to and "additional reporting" page at 'Les Décodeurs du Monde', and text telling me that:

"To fight false news, Facebook reduces the distribution of misleading content while also showing additional reporting on the same topic.

Pages and websites that repeatedly publish or share misleading content will see their overall distribution reduced, their ability to monetize and advertise removed and their ability to register as a news page removed.

Deleting the misleading content won't affect these outcomes."

Here's a screenshot of the Sott.net article on the fr.sott.net FB page: 

The offending article on French Sott.net is a summary of a Breitbart article, based on an interview with the co-founder of Greenpeace and outspoken critic of man-made global warming, Patrick Moore.

In the offending Breitbart interview, Moore explained how fear and guilt are leveraged by proponents of climate change and noted how "green" companies parasitize taxpayers via favorable regulations and subsidies, ostensibly justified by the aforementioned narrative's claimed threats, all while "enjoying propagandistic protection across news media."

"And so you've got the green movement creating stories that instill fear in the public. You've got the media echo chamber - fake news - repeating it over and over and over again to everybody that they're killing their children. And then you've got the green politicians who are buying scientists with government money to produce fear for them in the form of scientific-looking materials. And then you've got the green businesses, the rent-seekers, and the crony capitalists who are taking advantage of massive subsidies, huge tax write-offs, and government mandates requiring their technologies to make a fortune on this. And then, of course, you've got the scientists who are willingly - they're basically hooked on government grants. When they talk about the 99 percent consensus [among scientists] on climate change, that's a completely ridiculous and false number."

Moore also warned that the narrative of anthropogenic global warming is an existential threat to reason:

"It is the biggest lie since people thought the Earth was at the center of the universe. This is Galileo-type stuff. If you remember, Galileo discovered that the sun was at the center of the solar system and the Earth revolved around it. He was sentenced to death by the Catholic Church, and only because he recanted was he allowed to live in house arrest for the rest of his life.

So this was around the beginning of what we call the Enlightenment, when science became the way in which we gained knowledge instead of using superstition and instead of using invisible demons and whatever else, we started to understand that you have to have observation of actual events and then you have to repeat those observations over and over again, and that is basically the scientific method."

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France says Israeli sovereignty over Golan breaks international law

france 24

France does not recognise the Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights and its recognition – as called for by US President Donald Trump – is contrary to international law, its foreign ministry said on Friday.

Trump provocatively tweeted on Thursday that Washington should recognise Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights. However, international reaction was overwhelmingly critical.

“The Golan is a territory occupied by Israel since 1967. France does not recognise the Israeli annexation of 1981,” the French ministry said in a daily briefing, adding that UN Security Council resolutions had recognised the annexation as null and void.

“The recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan, occupied territory, would be contrary to international law, in particular the obligation for states not to recognise an illegal situation,” the ministry also said.

The Gulf Cooperation Council regional group of six Arab monarchies also expressed regret on Friday at Trump’s call to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Trump’s statement “will not change the reality that (...) the Arab Golan Heights is Syrian land occupied by Israel by military force in 1967", said Abdul Latif Al Zayani, the GCC secretary general. “The statements by the American president undermine the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace.”

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Soldiers to 'OPEN FIRE' if lives are threatened at Yellow Vest protest

dailymail.co.uk

 

French soldiers will be permitted to 'open fire' if lives are threatened by Yellow Vest rioters this weekend, the military governor of Paris said today. 

General Bruno Leray's ominous words highlight the growing law and order crisis faced by President Emmanuel Macron as he faces up to the increasingly violent social movement.

It has now been confirmed that the French Army will support some 5,000 police trying to keep order during the 19th Yellow Vest Saturday demonstration in a row in Paris at the weekend.

General Leray told Franceinfo Radio on Friday: 'If their life or that of the people they defend is threatened, they can go up to opening fire.'

There was widespread rioting across the French capital last Saturday, with banks, high-end shops, and restaurants looted and burnt out.

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Oil slick threatens French coast after cargo ship sinks

france24.com

 

An oil slick was heading towards the French coastline on Thursday after an Italian cargo ship sank in the Atlantic carrying 45 containers of "dangerous materials", authorities said.

The sheet of oil, 10 kilometres (six miles) long and one km wide, could hit parts of the country's southwest region near the port city of Bordeaux this weekend.

"According to our forecasts, fragments could reach some areas of the coast in Nouvelle-Aquitaine by Sunday or Monday owing to bad weather, which also risks making the anti-pollution operation more difficult," environment minister Francois de Rugy said Wednesday.

France will deploy four ships to help battle the oil slick at sea and will prepare for a clean-up operation on land, he added.

The Grande America was en route from Hamburg in Germany to Casablanca in Morocco when a fire broke out late on Sunday.

All 27 people on board were evacuated the following day as the fire worsened, before the ship sank some 300 km west of the town of La Rochelle on Tuesday.

"For now the possible pollution risk consists mainly of the 2,200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil on board," Jean-Louis Lozier, head of the regional maritime authority, told reporters in Brest on France's Brittany coast.

Lozier said the hybrid ship's Italian owner Grimaldi had indicated that 365 shipping containers were onboard, "of which 45 are carrying dangerous materials", as well as around 2,000 vehicles.

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Scapegoating Yellow Vests? Macron Moves to Outlaw Criticism of 'Zionism' as 'Anti-Semitism Wave' Hits France

The Local, France 
Via Sott.net

 Swastikas and anti-Semitic tags were found daubed over 80 gravestones at a Jewish cemetery in eastern France on Tuesday on the day of nationwide marches against a rise in anti-Semitic attacks. The damage was discovered on Tuesday morning at a cemetery in the village of Quatzenheim, close to the border with Germany in the Alsace region, a statement from the regional security office said.

It's just the latest shocking incident of anti-Semitism in France.

According to authorities around 80 graves in total were vandalised with anti-Semitic graffiti and swastika symbols.

Photos show the Nazi symbols in blue spray-painted on the damaged graves, one of which bears the words "Elsassisches Schwarzen Wolfe" ("Black Alsacian Wolves), a separatist group with links to neo-Nazis in the 1970s.

Comment: I.e. it's now defunct!

The top security official for the region, Jean-Luc Marx, condemned "in the strongest possible terms this awful anti-Semitic act and sends his complete support to the Jewish community which has been targeted again," the statement added. President Emmanuel Macron will travel to the cemetery to inspect the damage Tuesday, before visiting the Paris Holocaust memorial, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner told RTL radio.
Comment: Oh how convenient. He's going to make a special trip out of the Elysee to visit damaged gravestones on the very day the state organized counter-Yellow Vest protests under the repellent theme of 'anti-Semitism'. If one were a conspiracy theorist, one would be inclined to speculate that pro-regime agents provocateurs daubed the gravestones with swastikas... 

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France and Germany just cut a deal to save the EU's #CopyrightDirective -- and made it much, much worse

Cory Doctorow
BoingBoing

The EU's on-again/off-again Copyright Directive keeps sinking under its own weight: on the one side, you have German politicians who felt that it was politically impossible to force every online platform to spend hundreds of millions of euros to buy copyright filters to prevent a user from infringing copyright, even for an instant, and so proposed tiny, largely cosmetic changes to keep German small businesses happy; on the other side, you have French politicians who understand that the CEOs of multinational entertainment companies won't stand for any compromise, or even the appearance of compromise, and so the process fell apart. 

That is until Chancellor Merkel and President Macron sat down to broker a deal, in which Merkel caved on every single measure that even looked like it might protect small businesses, co-operatives, nonprofits, and individuals, ending up with a deal that guarantees that every existing small platform will be destroyed and no new ones can be started, leaving Europe in the hands of US Big Tech -- forever. 

Under the new deal, any platform where the public can communicate will have to buy copyright filters to intercept all public communications and compare them to a database of so-called "copyrighted works" (which anyone, anywhere, can add anything to), and then block anything that appears to be a match.
 
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France Recalls Envoy From Rome After Italian Deputy PM Meets 'Yellow Vests'

Sputnik

The standoff between Rome and Paris started after Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of the Five Star Movement Luigi Di Maio met with Christophe Chalençon, one of the "yellow vests" leaders.

"For several months France has been the subject of repeated accusations, unfounded attacks and outlandish claims", the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement, adding that such criticism was "unprecedented" since the end of World War II.

"All these moves create a grave situation that questions the intentions of the Italian government and its bilateral relations with France. In light of this unprecedented situation, the French government has decided to recall the ambassador of France in Italy for consultations", a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry added.

Di Maio has supported the French protestors, saying following a meeting with the "yellow vests", that the "winds of change" had crossed the Alps. 

In response, Paris called the meeting "a new provocation" by the Italian Deputy Prime Minister, stressing that such moves are "not acceptable between neighbouring countries and partners in the European Union".

The "yellow vests" rallies, triggered by fuel price hikes last November, are still ongoing, with almost 60,000 reportedly participating in mass protests in France during the first weekend of February.

Read more

READ MORE: 'A New Europe is Being Born': Senior Italian Officials Hail Yellow Vests

The Yellow Vest movement spreading, now going global

Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge

The Yellow Vest anti-government movement started in France on November 17, when over 300,000 people across France protested a carbon tax on fuel that French President Emmanuel Macron touted as evidence of France's leadership when it comes to mitigating climate change.
The Yellow Vest protests quickly evolved into a general anti-government movement - with hundreds of thousands of angry French citizens taking to the streets for ten straight weeks of mostly peaceful protests marked with pockets of violence, looting and mayhem.

What's more - the movement has gone worldwide - with perhaps the most notable protests outside France taking place in Belgium, where Brussels riot cops have dealt with week after week of protesters blocking oil depot and throwing hard objects at them.  

On December 8, Belgians attempted to breach a riot barricade while calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Charles Michel, resulting in around 100 arrests.

And while most of the protests outside of France happened last month, this is a good list to note where discontent is mounting.

• Bulgaria: Yellow Vests began protesting the same weekend as the French movement - coming out in force on November 16 to protest in front of parliament and demand the resignation of the government.
• Canada: Yellow Vest protests have taken place in more than a dozen cities across Canada - largely campaigning against the carbon price, Canada's participation in the UN's Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, the Trudeau administration and other issues.
• Croatia: Croatians came out in force on December 15, gathering in Ban Jelacic Square. 

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As Germany and France Come Apart, So Too Will the EU

Charles Hugh-Smith
Washington's Blog

When is a nation-state no longer a functional state? It’s an interesting question to ask of the European nation-states trapped in the devolving European Union. Longtime correspondent Mark G. recently posed seven indicators of dissolving national sovereignty; here’s his commentary:

“RE: The Ghosts of 1968 (February 14, 2018):

In France the “Ghosts of 1968” have become the Poltergeists of 2018. This looks like another real watershed in European and world history. Once again Parisian mobs have appeared and have collectively realized they now hold the real power. And their issues are all anti-EU (European Union) and anti-NWO. (New World Order)

I’m honing my German Collapse Scenario as more data flows in, as it is in ever-faster and larger quantities. ‘Germany’ will implode in parallel with the EU.

So-called ‘states’ with:

1. no effective military forces
2. no control of their own borders
3. no control of their currency and banks
4. a government with a ‘diverse’ population in which the majority either has no loyalty to Berlin (recent ‘refugee’ immigrants) or has dropped its loyalty (large parts of Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg), and which is also losing the allegiance of the many eastern European immigrants in Germany. These people are among the most energized opponents of the ‘refugee’ influx.
5. Fast rising anarchy and lawlessness by the recent ‘refugee’ immigrants, and which is well known to the population, as are the official orders to the police to minimize crime statistics reporting by not opening official cases.

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