The event was to be held on April 5, 2023 in the Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains church, behind the Arsenal, in this building that has been deconsecrated for 500 years. Threats of gatherings of far-right activists and Catholic fundamentalists led the singer to “fear for your audience“.
Four complaints had been filed, including one by Bilal Hassani, with the associations “Couleurs Gaies”, “Mousse et Stop homophonique” as well as the organizer of the concert. It targets identity groups Civitas, Aurora Lorraine and the group Discussion natio Metz.
The investigation, first opened in Metz, then transmitted at the national center for the fight against online hatredwhich depends on the Paris public prosecutor’s office.
Insults and threats on social networks
Five defendants appear this Thursday to answer either to “public incitement to hatred or violence against a person because of their sexual orientation”, to public insult because of sexual orientation” but also to “public provocation to commit intentional attacks on the life or physical integrity of the person”.
Men aged 23 to 69, identified in the region of Lille, Tours, Orléans or in the Lyon region. The only one from Lorraine, a forty-year-old known to the courts, is a former candidate in the last legislative elections under the “National Right” label, in the Toul constituency. He refused to explain the facts, after having published on the X network: “How can we not imagine this degenerate not being stoned in the land of his ancestors?” after the concert was canceled.
A 44-year-old YouTuber, a Muslim who declares himself “in solidarity with Christians”, describes the artist’s performance in a video as “Devil’s music“, writing with regard to the singer: “Burn in hell“. He explains having been shocked by the prospect of giving a concert in a churchnot knowing that it is no longer a religious building: “ We destroy them like that in the worst case scenario the best memory we will have of this basilica is seeing people praying » he said, while religious fundamentalist groups had called for prayers in front of the concert venue.
None of the suspects recognizes the homophobic nature of their comments: like this retired pharmacist, member of the Reconquest party, who thinks he said “just a vulgar remark“, after writing “Tarlouzes, pedocs, motherfuckers!” in a comment on an image from the singer’s fans.
Two other defendants, aged around twenty, also described Bilal Hassani or his fans as “degenerates“.
Certain comments identified during the investigation, via the Telegram messaging channel “FR DETER MOSELLE”, and on other social networks, could not be linked to their authors. Some of these accounts have since been deleted.
