A planned free outdoor film showing in a Paris suburb has been called off following intimidation by a group of young Muslim men who objected to the screening of the 2023 Barbie film.
The incident occurred in Noisy-le-Sec, located in the Seine-Saint-Denis area with a significant immigrant population, where the Oscar-winning movie featuring Margot Robbie was scheduled for August 8 as part of a summer holiday programme for local residents.
The confrontation has ignited a nationwide discussion about religious fundamentalism and its impact on French society, with Government officials and opposition parties offering sharply contrasting interpretations of the events.
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Olivier Sarrabeyrouse, the town's communist mayor, revealed at a Thursday press conference that approximately twelve young men had confronted municipal employees that evening, making "insistent threats" and verbally attacking staff members.
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A planned free outdoor film showing in a Paris suburb has been called off following intimidation by a group of young Muslim men who objected to the screening of the 2023 Barbie film
|GETTY
The group allegedly warned they would destroy screening equipment and condemned the film for "promoting homosexuality" and "undermining the integrity of women", according to the mayor's account.
Sarrabeyrouse said he cancelled the event to "protect" council workers from further harassment and subsequently lodged a formal criminal complaint with authorities.
The mayor denounced the intimidation as "obscurantism and fundamentalism" whilst simultaneously criticising right-wing politicians for capitalising on the controversy.
Several cabinet members have responded to the confrontation, with Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who is Muslim herself, announcing she would refer the matter to prosecutors.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati, who is Muslim herself, announced she would refer the matter to prosecutors
|GETTY
She said: "Yet another serious attack depriving children and families of cultural activity."
The Bobigny prosecutor opened an inquiry on Thursday evening into "threats, violence or acts of intimidation against a public official".
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau cautioned that "below-the-radar Islamism is trying to infiltrate institutions, whose ultimate aim is to tip the whole of French society under sharia law."
"The slightest retreat in the face of these community demands is unacceptable," Mr Retailleau told BFMTV.
An MP from Marine Le Pen's National Rally called the initial cancellation 'a serious mistake' that constituted 'submitting to an Islamist ideology'
| Getty ImagesThe controversy has exposed deep political fault lines, with Marine Le Pen's National Rally MP Yoann Gillet calling the initial cancellation "a serious mistake" that constituted "submitting to an Islamist ideology".
Gender Equality Minister Aurore Bergé described the incident as "not insignificant", arguing it demonstrated efforts by hardline Muslims to "infiltrate" areas with immigrant communities and shape social conduct.
Meanwhile, left-wing critics have accused Emmanuel Macron's administration of exploiting anti-Muslim sentiment to court right-wing voters.
Mayor Sarrabeyrouse expressed anger at what he termed the incident's "hijacking by the Right", calling it "a dirty political manoeuvre" designed to "stigmatise a neighbourhood".