The case had made the rounds of social networks. Now the authorities are taking over. The Metz prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation against X following the cancellation of the concert by Bilal Hassani, a claimed standard-bearer for the LGBT + community, the prosecutor’s office told AFP on Thursday.
This investigation was opened for “threat of offense against persons because of their sexual orientation, incitement to hatred or violence against a person because of sexual orientation and public and direct provocation not followed by effect to commit a crime or a misdemeanor”, specified the assistant public prosecutor, Thomas Bernard, indicating that the Departmental Security is seized of these facts.
Threats against the artist and the public
Opposed to Bilal Hassani’s concert, the Lorraine Catholique collective had cried out for “profanation”, in the middle of Holy Week, in a message on its widely relayed blog. Supported by Civitas, he called for a prayer of reparation before the concert, in front of the old church, desecrated for 500 years.
Due to the threats made against the artist and his audience, Live Nation, producer of Bilal Hassani’s tour, had finally decided “with regret, sadness and spite”, to cancel the show which was to be held in the former church of Saint-Pierre-Aux-Nonnains, now a performance hall.
In this case, the Stop Homophobia and Mousse associations have also filed a complaint against Civitas with the Metz prosecutor’s office for discrimination on the basis of gender identity, their lawyer, Me Etienne Deshoulières, said on Wednesday.