The bookstore La Plume noire was founded by the Francophone Fédération Anarchiste (FA) in 1989. Its initial location was a space used by the anarchist movement throughout the 20th century, situated at 13 Rue Pierre Blanc in the Croix-Rousse district, an area deeply tied to anarchist history since the time of the Canuts and the first wave of the Lyonnais anarchist press (1882–1884).[1][2][3] During its first year, the premises were shared with the local anarchist journal Information Réflexion Libertaire (IRL).[2][3]
The group was forced to vacate the premises the following year after the landlord refused to renew the lease.[2][3] They moved to 15 Rue Rivet, still within the Croix-Rousse district. Relations with the new landlords were also strained, and the bookstore had to move again in 1993, relocating to 19 Rue Pierre Blanc, just a few doors down from its original site.[2][3] The lease was signed in July, renovations took place in August, and La Plume noire reopened at this address on 25 September 1993.[2][3] The Coordination des Groupes Anarchistes (CGA) established itself there during this period.[2][4]
On 16 February 1997, the bookstore was targeted by a far-right arson attack. This occurred during a period of high tension after Jean-Marie Le Pen began targeting the FA in his speeches and filing lawsuits against Le Monde Libertaire, the organization's newspaper.[5][6] The fire destroyed nearly all the books and the interior of the shop. A demonstration led by the FA and the Confédération nationale du Travail (CNT) drew 3,000 people on 22 February.[5] Thanks to a significant mobilization effort to restore the space, the bookstore was able to reopen quickly.[5]
In 2007, the FA vacated the premises, leaving the anarchists of the CGA in charge of the location.[2]
After being evicted in June 2010, the bookstore relocated to 8 Rue Diderot in January 2011.[2][6]
In November 2016, the shop was attacked on the sidelines of a traditionalist Catholic demonstration organized by the Society of Saint Pius X, which had previously been banned by the authorities.[6][7] Approximately twenty individuals arrived at the bookstore armed with iron bars and stones, subsequently destroying the storefront.[6][7] The CGA issued a statement highlighting the perceived proximity between the police, who reportedly allowed the banned procession to take place, and the groups responsible for the violence.[6]
In December 2020, two anarchists were violently assaulted in front of the bookstore while organizing a fundraiser to distribute toys to children.[8]
On 20 March 2021, La Plume noire was attacked once again, this time by approximately fifty members and affiliates of Génération Identitaire, a neo-fascist group that had been dissolved by authorities just weeks prior.[8][9] After ransacking the bookstore, the group was left undisturbed in the neighborhood for half an hour without police intervention.[8] French authorities made no arrests and held no trials regarding the incident; the case was eventually dismissed.[8][10][11]
The March 2021 attack caused a profound shock within Lyon's anarchist and anti-fascist circles, described by StreetPress as creating a 'climate of terror'.[8][12] A demonstration planned to protest the attack was banned by the prefecture due to fears of clashes, leading to further criticism accusing the administration of protecting Lyon's far-right movements.[13][14]
According to Emmanuel Macron, Jean Castex, and Gérald Darmanin, the GALE (an anarchist group in Lyon) reportedly began engaging in more radical actions following this attack as a form of retaliation.[15] This incident was also cited by the lawyer of seven Lyonnese individuals of the GALE arrested for violence during the summer 2021 health pass protests; she argued that her clients felt the impunity enjoyed by far-right movements in Lyon had become intolerable.[10]
Later that year, Adrien R. (known as Adrien Lasalle), a neo-Nazi identified as a member of the group that attacked the bookstore, was arrested for stabbing two young men in the street.[16][17]
The bookstore was vandalized during far-right demonstrations following the death of Quentin Deranque.[18]
