Facebook permanently bans French comedian for anti-Semitism

PARIS, Aug 3, 2020 (AFP) — Facebook said Monday it had permanently banned French comedian Dieudonne, a convicted anti-Semite, from its platform and from Instagram for content it said mocked Holocaust victims.

It also said some of his posts used “dehumanising terms against Jews.”

“In line with our policy on dangerous individuals and organizations, we have permanently banned Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala from Facebook and Instagram,” the company said in a statement, using his full name.

“Banning a person permanently from our services is a decision that we always weigh carefully, but individuals and organizations that attack others on the basis of what they are do not have a place on Facebook or

Instagram,” it added.

The comedian, who goes by his first name Dieudonne, had his YouTube channel cut off for similar reasons in June by mother company Google. He had about 1.3 million followers on Facebook, and some 400,000 on YouTube.

The International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism welcomed the ban as a “great victory,” saying Dieudonne’s posts “have done considerable and irreparable damage among young people.”

The comedian has been convicted multiple times, in France and in Belgium, for comments opponents say are bluntly racist while a loyal following champion his right to free speech.