Prefect of the Rhone Jean-Pierre Lacroix announced Monday that he will prohibit all new gathering of free-Turkish associations which may result in denial of the Armenian Genocide, following a demonstration held in Lyon Saturday. Blamed by Armenian associations of France for not having prohibited this gathering against the construction of a memorial to the Genocide, which will be inaugurated on April 24, the prefect of the Rhone asked to understand "the emotion and the anger of the French of Armenian origin". "But, from a legal point of view, we could not prohibit it. At present, we have evidence and I will prohibit any other gathering of this type", he defended himself at a news conference. Previously, at a briefing organized by Armenian associations, a decision was made to address Minister of the Interior Nicolas Sarkozy so that this type of ashamed gathering "is not held in our country any more". "Mr. Sarkozy must make the step necessary to complete the law of January 2001 on the recognition by France of the Armenian genocide", affirmed Martine David, mayor of Saint-Priest (the Rhone). "The law on recognition of the Armenian Genocide misses an article necessary for punishing those who, on our ground, deny the Armenian genocide ", specified a person in charge of the Coordination Council of the Armenian organizations of France (CCAF), reports AFP.

March 18, when a wave of rallies shocked France several thousands of Turks protested in Lyons against the erection of the monument to the Armenian Genocide victims. They came across French rally participants at the municipality. Turks attacked the French and the police dispersed the crowd with tear-gas bombs.