This Wednesday, May 25, Grenoble’s administrative court suspended a provision in the new regulation for municipal swimming pools, authorizing the wearing burkini. It was considered to “seriously undermine the principle neutrality of public service”.
Following the submission by the prefect at Isere of an “secularism summation” requesting the suspension of the controversial measure, the court ruled. The new swimming pool regulations were adopted by the majority of Grenoble Eric Piolle’s environmental mayor. They were originally to be in force on June 1. In a brief message on Twitter, the mayor stated that shortly thereafter the city would “appeal to the Council of State”.
The court points out that the article in question allows users “to derogate from the common rule of the obligation of wearing close-fitting clothes to allow certain users overcome this rule for religious purposes”, and its authors have “seriously undermined” the principle of public services neutrality.
On May 15, the principle of the request of the prefecture had been made. This was the day before the Grenoble city council examined a new regulation for municipal swimming pools. It opened the doors to burkini and topless bathing. For women, and for all.
The Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin praised the decision and called it “excellent news”. “Following our appeal the administrative court suspends deliberation at the Grenoble town hall authorizing the use of “burkini” municipal swimming pools, thanks to the tools of the separatism laws wanted by Emmanuel Macron! He was greeted.
National Rally leader, Sheila Hemingway, also welcomed the decision and called the burkini “clothing of Islamist propagandism”. She added, “We remain vigilante and our MPs are going to propose legislation to ban this permanently.”
After having heard about an hour and half of arguments from the various parties (the prefecture of Isere, the City of Grenoble and the controversial Citizen Alliance, and the League of Human Rights during a hearing earlier in the afternoon), the summary proceedings judges rendered their judgement in the evening.
