Mosque protesters punished in France

PARIS — The French far-right group Generation Identity and five of its members were convicted Thursday of organizing and taking part in a 2012 anti-Muslim demonstration on the roof of a mosque in the city of Poitiers, near where Arab invaders were stopped in the 8th century.

The court handed down suspended prison sentences for each of the five and fines amounting to about $47,000.

Generation Identity, calling the decision “a scandal,” said on its Facebook page that the five would immediately lodge an appeal and asked for donations from sympathizers.

“The conviction of peaceful young citizens warning the French of the danger of the development of Islamism and massive immigration is particularly scandalous,” the group’s statement said, noting the terror attacks in Paris, Nice and elsewhere in France that have killed hundreds of people.

During the October 2012 demonstration, scores of people climbed atop a mosque under construction and unfurled banners. One read “Remember Charles Martel,” who led the 732 battle to halt a Muslim advance in Europe. The group demanded a referendum on the building of mosques.

Four of the five received suspended one-year prison sentences and lost their civic rights for five years, including the right to vote, the court clerk’s office said. The fifth received a suspended sentence and lost the right to run in elections.