Drag queens prepare for their performance on the Débilly Bridge in Paris during the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on July 26.
13:10 JST, August 3, 2024
PARIS (AP) — Prosecutors in Paris said Friday that police have opened a hate speech investigation following a complaint from Thomas Jolly, artistic director of the Olympic Games opening ceremony, about death threats.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Jolly filed a complaint with police on Tuesday, four days after the opening ceremony, alleging death threats, “public insults” and “defamation.”
Jolly said he had been “the target of threatening messages and insults on social networks criticizing his sexual orientation and his falsely assumed Israeli roots,” the statement said. France’s Central Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes is in charge of the investigation.
Jolly’s complaint comes after the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics sparked a storm of outrage, including angry comments from Donald Trump, in the wake of a controversial scene involving drag queens and other performers. Although Jolly has repeatedly said he was not inspired by “The Last Supper,” critics interpreted part of the show as a parody of Leonardo da Vinci’s painting of Jesus Christ and his apostles.
French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his full support for Jolly and all the artists who took part in the opening show of the Olympic Games.
“I am furious and sad,” Macron said of the threats and cyberbullying that Jolly and others have endured. “Nothing justifies threats against an artist,” Macron said.
“The French were very proud of the opening ceremony, which showed French history, the spirit of adventure and audacity. And all of this was done with artistic freedom, which is very important to us,” Macron said.
Jolly’s “daring art during the opening ceremony made many people happy,” he added.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo also expressed her “unwavering support” for Jolly, despite the threats and intimidation.
With his opening ceremony, “Jolly upheld our values,” Hidalgo said in a statement Friday. “It was a pride and an honor for Paris to be able to count on his talent to magnify our city and tell the world who we are.”
Hidalgo added: “Paris will always be on the side of artists, of creation and therefore on the side of freedom.”
Barbara Butch, a popular DJ and LGBTQ+ icon who performed on the show, also said she faced a flood of online threats. Butch has filed a complaint alleging online abuse and harassment, which police are also investigating.
