Published11. March 2024, 10:47
Olympic opening ceremony: Aya Nakamura: “You can be racist but not deaf”
The singer denounced the comments made by the group “Les Natifs” on the web. He refuses to see the artist represent France at the Paris Olympics.
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Aya Nakamura suffered racist attacks on social media because of her participation in the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
AFP
A photo of the far-right militant group “Les Natifs” has gone viral on social networks since Sunday March 10, 2024. Via a post published on X, we can see the image including several individuals who brandish a banner with a message in black printed on a white background speaking directly to Aya Nakamura: “There’s no way Aya. This is Paris, not the Bamako market.”
This “rant” reported by the media “Livre Noir” comes after the decision of French President Emmanuel Macron and director Thomas Jolly to have chosen the Franco-Malian singer to represent France at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The members of the far-right collective do not view Aya Nakamura’s candidacy favorably. They also make it known on their Instagram account, where they explain that around fifteen members demonstrated in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, Friday March 8, 2024, in order to denounce the decision of the Head of State: “Replace French elegance through vulgarity, Africanize our popular songs and oust the native people in favor of extra-European immigration.”
Support in spades
These comments caused a wave of indignation in the music world and on television sets, reports “BFMTV“. The person concerned, Aya Nakamura, responded to this attack herself on Sunday evening. “You can be racist but not deaf. That’s what hurts you! I’m becoming a number 1 state subject in debates, but what do I really owe you? What a shame.”
Many French artists quickly reacted to the intervention of the collective “Les Natifs”, like the singer Dadju, as well as political representatives such as the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, to defend the singer.
The one who made her debut in the world of music in 2014 is among the most internationally famous French artists. However, despite the awards won and record viewing figures, Aya Nakamura still cannot achieve unanimous support in France.