Isère. Barbara Butch concert interrupted: LFI under fire from criticism, the city of Grenoble files a complaint
For several days, the 45-year-old DJ, a figure of Parisian LGBTQ+ nights, was the target of a call for a boycott from pro-Palestinian activists and local rebels: she was to give a concert as part of a festival organized by the city of Grenoble. This call for a boycott had not been relayed by the national figures of La France insoumise. But a leaflet, calling her “support for the genocidaires” had been distributed by rebellious activists from Isère representing the DJ mixing in front of an LGBT flag with a Star of David (the flag of the Tel Aviv Pride March), here represented with splashes of blood.
The activists criticized the Jewish artist for signing a column in support of the contested Yadan bill aimed at “fighting new forms of anti-Semitism”, since withdrawn. This text intended to broaden the offense of advocating terrorism. He had been widely criticized, his opponents seeing in it a risk for freedom of expression and a possible dangerous amalgamation between French Jews and Israel. “I signed a column, I shouldn’t have done it,” Barbara Butch told France 24 in May, recalling being a victim of anti-Semitism since childhood. Barbara Butch received support from rebels after the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, when she was the victim of a wave of cyberharassment from the far right.
“Throwing glass bottles”
Saturday evening, after around twenty minutes, the town hall took the decision to suspend the concert “in order to guarantee the safety of the public, the teams and all those present”. Videos on social media show people waving Palestinian flags, raising middle fingers and blowing whistles while the artist is on stage. “We are extremely proud to have participated in this peaceful demonstration,” declared Allan Brunon, rebellious elected official at Grenoble town hall, while denying that there were any projectiles thrown at the artist. The Grenoble town hall did report “throws of glass bottles” and other projectiles “deliberately aimed at the stage” during the DJ’s visit. According to The Dauphiné Libéréthe city of Grenoble wants to file a complaint.
For their part, the opponents of the rebels, a movement already accused of ambiguity on the anti-Semitic question, quickly moved on. “LFI’s anti-Semitism is anything but residual,” thundered former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, in reference to the words of Jean-Luc Mélenchon who had affirmed that “anti-Semitism remains residual in France”, attracting numerous criticisms. Another candidate in the presidential election, the leader of the far right Marine Le Pen denounced “the anti-Semitism of the far left, its recurrent violence, its totalitarian nature and project”.
Even on the left, the rebels are lonely. “LFI does not serve the Palestinian cause. These methods do not help the Palestinians in any way and are a disservice to sincere activists,” said PS boss Olivier Faure. “Don’t we rather have political representatives who defend the Yadan law to strongly challenge before attacking Barbara Butch? », tackled Clémentine Autain. Especially since this artist is “a woman committed to the LGBTQI+ fight and against fatphobia, a regular target of violent, sexist and anti-Semitic attacks,” added the MP, a former rebel.
Embarrassed bomber
On franceinfo, LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard, used to playing the firefighter on duty on television sets to extinguish rebellious controversies, showed a certain embarrassment on this subject.
“She decided to take a political position and I can understand that this political position could generate a protest” but “as long as this protest is peaceful”. A sign of the trouble this is generating at LFI, an executive contacted by AFP to clarify the position of the rebels indicated: “I’m passing my turn. »
