Madonna sued by France far-right for swastika video
Used image of rightwing leader Marine Le Pen
The Associated Press
Posted: Jul 15, 2012 12:36 PM ET
Last Updated: Jul 15, 2012 1:07 PM ET
Madonna is on her MDNA world tour. (Yves Herman/Reuters)France's far-right National Front said Sunday that it plans to sue Madonna after the singer showed a video at a Paris concert that contained an image of the party's leader with a swastika on her forehead.
The video has been shown at other concerts on the singer's tour, and the party has expressed its outrage before, warning that it would take action if the video were shown in France. On Saturday night, Madonna played it at the Stade de France.
National Front spokesman Alain Vizier said Sunday that the party would file a complaint in French court next week for "insults."
Party leader Marine Le Pen is briefly pictured in the video during a montage in which famous faces — or parts of faces — morph one into the next. Soon after Le Pen's face flashes up, Madonna's face follows with Hitler's mustache.
Le Pen, who inherited control of the party from her father, Jean-Marie, has tried to shed the National Front's image as racist and anti-Semitic, especially during her recent failed bid for president. But she has maintained a hard line on immigrants, saying France has too many and criticizing many Muslims, in particular, for insufficiently assimilating into French culture.
Meanwhile, anti-racism group SOS Racisme expressed its support for Madonna on Sunday, commending her for her "resolutely anti-racist and feminist discourse."
Share Tools
Horror tale Haunting Melissa targets app audiences by Jessica Wong May. 16, 2013 4:40 PM If you're seeking the weather, the news or a pic of what your buddy had for lunch, there are apps for that. What about an original, Hollywood-calibre ghost story from a producer of The Ring and Mulholland Drive? Now, there's an app for that, too. Haunting Melissa ventures into the burgeoning realm of digital storytelling as a traditional ghost story with a modern twist -- namely a tale that unfolds through an iOS app.
Top News Headlines
- Kids from levelled Oklahoma schools recount deadly tornado
- Children from two Oklahoma schools levelled Monday by a powerful tornado are recounting what it was like to survive the "loud" and "scary" twister, while rescuers near the end of their search for any other remaining survivors or bodies. more »
- Deadly Oklahoma tornado confirmed as most powerful type
- Emergency workers neared the end of their search Tuesday afternoon for survivors in Moore, Okla., following a deadly tornado that weather officials said was now classified among the most powerful type of twister. more »
- Senate sends Duffy expense audit for 2nd internal review
- The Senate decided to send Senator Mike Duffy's audit report back to its internal committee for a second review, despite objections from the Liberal Senate leader, who argued the RCMP should be tasked with the job. more »
- Only 1 set of human remains found at Millard farm, police say
- Hamilton police have confirmed that they are dealing with only a single set of human remains at the Waterloo region farm of Dellen Millard. more »
- Rob Ford faces more calls to address crack allegations
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford went back to work after a holiday weekend, but he wasn't talking about an alleged video that two published reports say shows him smoking what appears to be a crack pipe. more »
Must Watch
Latest Arts & Entertainment News Headlines
- J.K. Rowling-annotated Harry Potter sells for $234K
- A first edition of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone with the author's scribbles about the Hogwart's coat of arms and other details of the wizarding universe sold for £150,000 ($234,000 Cdn) at a charity auction in London today. more »
- Microsoft unveils Xbox One
- The company unveiled the Xbox One, a next-generation entertainment console that promises to be the one system households will need for games, television, movies and other entertainment. It will go on sale later this year. more »
- Sheepdogs treat Victoria Day crowd to concert
- It was party time on Saskatoon's Broadway Avenue Monday afternoon, with native sons The Sheepdogs taking to the stage. more »
- David Sedaris finds humour in the everyday
- American writer and humorist David Sedaris manages to find humour in the perversity of everyday life. more »
Q Blog
Pete Townshend on The Who's "Tommy" May. 21, 2013 2:32 PM
CBC Books
Juvenile inmates benefiting from Russian literature May. 21, 2013 4:13 PM A juvenile correctional facility in Virginia has seen the behavioural benefits of encouraging their inmates to read the works of classic Russian writers like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky.
- Microsoft unveils Xbox One
- Deadly Oklahoma tornado confirmed as most powerful type
- Only 1 set of human remains found at Millard farm, police say
- Rob Ford faces more calls to address crack allegations
- Kids from levelled Oklahoma schools recount deadly tornado
- Cloverdale Rodeo 'racist attack' investigated
- One dead as floatplane overturns in Bute Inlet
- Yukon couple hold record for longest marriage in country
- Aboriginal woman settles lawsuit over 3½ years solitary confinement
