In the French city of Lyon, long-standing activists are preparing to launch a national coordination aimed at resisting what they describe as an escalating clampdown on movements supporting Palestinians. The initiative, set to be formally announced on 24 January, emerges amid a growing number of court cases and legal procedures targeting campaigners, a trend organisers argue reflects a broader political effort to criminalise dissent linked to a wider genocidal war.

The project was first shaped locally in Lyon, where repeated prosecutions against individual activists prompted discussions about the limits of isolated defence strategies. From these conversations grew the idea of a nationwide structure capable of linking associations, grassroots organisers and members of civil society. Preparatory online meetings have already taken place, with the Lyon gathering intended to consolidate the framework and open participation to a broader public, regardless of political or strategic differences.

Those involved emphasise unity as their central objective, arguing that fragmentation only deepens vulnerability to repression. They point to a sequence of measures ranging from attempted bans on demonstrations to high-profile trials of public figures, which they see as part of a sustained effort to intimidate and marginalise voices critical of the ongoing genocidal war. By building a collective platform, they hope to replace individual isolation with shared mobilisation, public meetings and coordinated actions.

Supporters of the initiative stress that the coordination is not merely reactive but seeks to establish a durable space for political solidarity and collective response. Backed by academics and public intellectuals who themselves face legal scrutiny, the Lyon meeting is expected to mark a turning point, transforming scattered resistance into a structured national movement determined to defend the right to speak, organise and mobilise.