Threats of death against the Olympic organizers looked into.
Regarding threats of death sent at the organizers of the beginning ceremony of the Paris Olympics, French authorities have launched an inquiry.
A complaint regarding death threats was submitted on Saturday by Alexandre Billard of the events agency Ubi Bene, artistic director Thomas Jolly, and ceremonies director Thierry Reboul.
The drag queen segment of the opening ceremony featured French DJ Barbara Butch, who filed a complaint last month after being harassed online.
The Last Supper was offensively referenced in that episode, which infuriated several religious authorities and conservative politicians in France and outside.
According to Mr. Jolly, he was not influenced by the well-known Leonardo da Vinci picture that features Jesus Christ and his apostles. Rather, he claimed that the Greek mythology-inspired segment, Festivity, was meant to be a celebration of diversity rather than "be subversive, nor to mock or to shock."
Upon receiving complaints from Mr. Jolly, an openly gay man, about death threats and cyberbullying, French prosecutors launched an inquiry. According to Le Parisien newspaper, in several emails that Mr. Jolly and the head of a production business received, there was a reference to a verse from the Quran that said, "Allah's punishment will befall those who organize in Saint-Denis" (one of the Olympic locations).
Investigators are also looking into taunts made against drag performer Nicky Doll, who was also a part of the contentious scene. During the weekend, DJ Barbara Butch said on France Inter radio that she had received letters " welcoming me to burn in hell in every tongue and swastikas".
The cyberbullying of Jolly "outraged" French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, who also stated that "nothing justifies threatening an artist." "The French were extremely proud of this celebration," he stated. "France showed sufficient boldness with artistic independence."
