The French government accuses the controversial comedian of what it describes as promotion of anti-Semitism, and it is mounting pressure against him through judicial measures.
The government has already banned M’bala M’bala’s public gatherings and the raids on Tuesday were sanctioned as, what the government claims, part of a broader investigation into suspected fraud by Dieudonné.
He has been also convicted for a series of hate speeches, for which authorities are now seeking to compel Dieudonné to pay tens of thousands of euros in outstanding fines.
They have accused him of suspected money-laundering and misuse of corporate assets.
Dieudonné, whose father is from Cameroon and whose mother is French-Caucasian, has popularized a gesture called “quenelle” salute – which authorities have branded as anti-Semitic. It is a straight-armed downward gesture that some have likened to a reverse Nazi salute.
The comedian argues that his gesture is anti-Zionist, not anti-Semitic. The gesture was first used during a campaign in 2009. Since then, it has been reproduced all over the Internet, and particularly among the comedian's hundreds of thousands of fans.
In the past few months, Dieudonné has been banned from performing in several French cities on the grounds of maintaining public order.
Meanwhile, French President François Hollande has publicly supported the ban on his performances.
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