Masked and armed: The organization threatening tourists in Corsica
Against the backdrop of a proposal to grant autonomy to Corsica, a separatist organization has released a threatening video against "invaders." Armed masked men, members of a group responsible for several past attacks, demanded that foreigners stay away from the island, labeling immigration as "rampant colonization."
An armed organization in Corsica has released a video warning tourists and foreigners who intend to purchase homes on the island. The footage shows about a dozen masked activists wielding weapons, identified as members of the National Liberation Front of Corsica — Union of Combatants (FLNC), a separatist organization demanding independence from France.
"Until our national rights are recognized and respected, we have only one message for them: stay home," said a man in the video who is reportedly considered the group's leader.
The organization characterized immigration to Corsica as "rampant colonization" that hinders local settlement, and defined foreigners buying homes as "invaders."
Meanwhile, the video's release comes amid a proposal to grant autonomy to Corsica, which the organization rejected, calling it a "farce." The proposal has already passed the lower house of the French parliament and is expected to move to the Senate for review in October. Under the proposal, France would recognize Corsica as a unique historical, linguistic, and cultural community and grant its local assembly broader powers, though the island would remain part of the French Republic. The armed organization claims the law actually leads to the denial of the existence of the Corsican people and the rejection of central demands made over recent decades. In an additional statement, they asserted that the Corsican people will never be a "vulgar administrative community."
The FLNC was founded in 1976, when it claimed responsibility for 18 attacks as part of what was known as the "Blue Night" — a wave of explosions across Corsica. Since then, it has split into several rival networks. The last major wave of attacks for which the organization claimed responsibility occurred in 2023, when 45 explosions were recorded, primarily targeting vacation homes and an abandoned tax office in Ajaccio. No casualties were reported.
Currently, French authorities have opened an investigation into suspicions of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts and the illegal possession of weapons.
