U.K. bans French comic Dieudonne from visit

LONDON (AFP) ― French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala was on Monday banned from entering Britain after he reportedly planned to visit to support Nicolas Anelka in the footballer’s anti-Semitism row.

Britain’s interior ministry said it had slapped an exclusion order on 47-year-old Dieudonne, who has a string of convictions for hate speech in his homeland, on the grounds of public security.

Dieudonne invented the allegedly anti-semitic “quenelle” gesture that Anelka used during a goal celebration in December, landing the striker with a charge from English footballing authorities.

“We can confirm that Mr Dieudonne is subject to an exclusion order,” a Home Office spokeswoman said in a statement.

“The home secretary (Theresa May) will seek to exclude an individual from the U.K. if she considers that there are public policy or public security reasons to do so.”

British media last week quoted Dieudonne as saying that he was planning to perform a show in Britain and hold a press conference in support of his friend, former French international Anelka.

The Home Office refused to give further details on the order banning from Britain.

But a British government source told AFP on condition of anonymity: “The reason for the exclusion order is that he was going to come to the U.K.”

Dieudonne was due to perform on Monday evening in the Swiss town of Nyon.

His lawyer Jacques Verdier said he did not know if his client had actually intended to go to London.

He said that the ban showed British authorities were “nervous” and added that “it’s appalling but nothing surprises us at the moment.”

Anelka has been charged by the Football Association, the sport’s governing body in England, after he made the “quenelle” gesture, which critics say is anti-Semitic but Dieudonne insists is anti-establishment.

The West Bromwich Albion striker made the gesture during a goal celebration after scoring against West Ham during an English Premier League match on Dec. 28.

Anelka denies the charge, saying he is neither anti-Semitic nor racist, and that he made the gesture in support of Dieudonne.

Britain has used exclusion orders on rare occasions in recent years to keep out public figures deemed as having extreme views.

People banned include firebrand U.S. pastor Terry Jones and the U.S. anti-Muslim political bloggers Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer, all of whom were planning to attend rallies by the far-right English Defence League.