Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo launched an expletive-laced tirade against critics of the Olympic opening ceremony, while defending the directors and artists who put on the show.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) issued a sort of apology to anyone who was offended by the Olympic opening ceremony, which included strong LGBTQ2 representation and historical themes. Hidalgo, on the other hand, told them to go away.
“Fuck the reactionaries, these far-right ones, those who want to trap us in a war of all against all,” she said in an interview with Le Monde published Tuesday, using profanity, particularly in English.
Religious and political conservatives around the world have condemned one part of the ritual in particular, which features scenes reminiscent of the works of Leonardo da Vinci. last meal Drag queens and other performers appeared in formations reminiscent of Jesus Christ and his apostles.
The French Catholic Bishops’ Conference called the scene a “mockery” and a mockery of Christianity, a sentiment echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. The Episcopal Church of Egypt expressed “deep regret” that the event would result in the IOC “losing its unique sporting identity and humanitarian message.”
Drag queens prepare to perform on the Pont de Billy in Paris at the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics (Friday, July 26, 2024).
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/Associated Press
Hidalgo, who has been mayor for 10 years, said at the opening ceremony that she was proud of the way Paris was represented around the world.
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“Paris is a city of freedom, a refuge for LGBTQI+ people, a city where people live together,” she told Le Monde.
The Socialist mayor also said the event and the Olympics would be a beacon of hope amid rising far-right political sentiment across France and Europe.
“The far-right message has been shattered by these games and the opening ceremony,” she said. “Something incredibly positive is happening.”
The event’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, has said he received death threats and was cyberbullied online, and has since said his scene bore no resemblance to The Last Supper, which was intended to depict a pagan banquet with the Olympian gods.
The Trocadero venue and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where the 2024 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony will be held, is pictured on Friday, July 26, 2024.
Full photo via Francois-Xavier Marit/AP
“My wish was not to be destructive, nor to mock or shock,” Jolie told The Associated Press. “More than anything, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, and I didn’t want to be divisive at all.”
Paris 2024 spokesperson Ann DeKamp also addressed the controversy late last month, saying the event was intended to “celebrate community tolerance”.
“It was certainly not our intention to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think (with Thomas Jolly) we were really trying to celebrate the tolerance of the community,” Descamp said. “Given the polling results that we shared, we believe we achieved that ambition. If people were offended, of course, we are very, very sorry.”
— Includes files from Associated Press
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
