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Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo was unequivocal in her response to the criticism Olympic Games opening ceremony, Defend the director and artists who produced the play.
this International Olympic Committee The IOC has issued some form of apology to anyone who was offended by the opening ceremony of these Olympics, which featured a lot of LGBTQ2 representation and historical themes. Hidalgothen let them go away.
“Fuck the reactionaries, fuck the extreme right, fuck all those who want to drag us into a war of all against all,” she said in an interview with Le Monde published on Tuesday. Especially using English swear words.
Religious and political conservatives from around the world have condemned one aspect of the ceremony in particular, which featured a scene that was said to be reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper Featuring drag queens and other performers whose looks evoke Jesus Christ and his apostles.
The French Catholic Bishops’ Conference called the ceremony a “scandal” that they said made a mockery of Christianity – a view echoed by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. The Egyptian Episcopal Church expressed “deep regret” and said the ceremony could cause the IOC to “lose its unique sporting identity and humanitarian message”.
Drag queens prepare to perform on the Pont de Billy during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Friday, July 26, 2024.
Tsvangirai Mukwaji/AP
Hidalgo, who has been mayor for 10 years, said Proud of Paris’ image The opening ceremony showed the world
“Paris is a city of freedom, a refuge for LGBTQI+ people, a city where people live together,” she told Le Monde.
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The Socialist mayor also said the opening ceremony and the Olympics were a hopeful bright spot amid rising far-right political sentiment in France and other European countries.
“The message of the far right is Overwhelmed by these games and the opening ceremony,” she said. “Some very positive things are happening.”
The ceremony’s artistic director, Thomas Jolly, who said he had received death threats and been a victim of cyberbullying, said after the ceremony that his work bore no resemblance to The Last Supper, clarifying that the scene was supposed to depict a pagan feast associated with the gods of Olympus.
An overview of the Trocadero venue in Paris during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, with the Eiffel Tower in the background, Friday, July 26, 2024.
Francois-Xavier Marit/Pool Photo via AP
“My wish is not to subvert, Nor will I laugh or be shocked“More than anything, I wanted to send a message of love, a message of inclusion, not a message of division.
Anne Descamps, a spokeswoman for the Paris 2024 Winter Olympics organizing committee, also responded to the controversy late last month, saying the ceremony was intended to “celebrate community tolerance.”
“Obviously, we never intended to show disrespect to any religious group. On the contrary, I think (with) Thomas Jolly, we really tried to celebrate community tolerance,” Descamps said. “From the poll results that we shared, we I believe this wish has come true.“… If anyone feels offended, we are of course very, very sorry.”
— Associated Press
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