Apple seeks to ban French activist group from its shops

Apple has started legal action against French non-profit organisation Attac, which campaigns on issues related to taxation and globalisation. The company is seeking to prevent further disruption from the activist group, following a series of incidents in the pre-Christmas period when a large number of activists occupied an Apple Store in central Paris for several hours. Apple’s demands include EUR 3,000 in compensation and a ban on activists entering its stores for a period of three years, subject to a penalty of EUR 150,000 if the court order is breached.

In a statement, the organisation said that the court action would have consequences for Apple, "amplifying the outrage" towards its tax optimisation practices.

Attac, which stands for Association for the Taxation of financial Transactions and Citizen's Action (Association pour la Taxation des Transactions financieres et pour l'Action Citoyenne) was created in France in 1998 and is now present in several countries.