A French Rapper Just Had His Montreal Show Cancelled Because Of Antisemitic Lyrics
France's minister of the interior even condemned the musician.
Montreal's Olympia theatre on rue Ste-Catherine.
A French rapper, Freeze Corleone, saw his Montreal show cancelled after the organization B'nai Brith Canada drew attention to antisemitic lyrics and statements Corleone had made, including Holocaust denialism. In 2020, the same lyrics led to condemnation from France's minister of the interior, Gérald Darmanin, who also spoke out on Twitter:
"Justifying Nazism and antisemitism... These remarks are indefensible. At my request, the Ministry of the Interior is looking for legal avenues to prosecute their author as soon as possible. I've already called on Facebook and Twitter not to broadcast this filth," Darmanin wrote.
\u201cApologie du nazisme et antis\u00e9mitisme... Ces propos sont inqualifiables. \u00c0 ma demande, le minist\u00e8re de l\u2019Int\u00e9rieur \u00e9tudie au plus vite les recours juridiques pour poursuivre leur auteur. D\u2019ores et d\u00e9j\u00e0, j\u2019appelle Facebook et Twitter \u00e0 ne pas diffuser ces immondices.\u201d— G\u00e9rald DARMANIN (@G\u00e9rald DARMANIN) 1600295296
Now, Corleone's lyrics have sparked pushback in another francophone country. His scheduled performance on December fourth at Olympia Theatre has been cancelled, with Ticketmaster simply stating "the event organizer was forced to cancel your event." MTL Blog has reached out to both Ticketmaster and the Olympia Theatre for comment.
B'nai Brith takes credit for the cancellation in a recent press release, writing that they took "comprehensive and immediate action" after discovering that Corleone was set to play in Montreal. In response to their concerns, B'nai Brith says, Olympia Theatre cancelled the show. Refunds are being offered through Ticketmaster, according to the show's cancellation page.
“Corleone’s rhetoric goes well beyond the bounds of artistic expression,” Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer, said in the release. “The Holocaust resulted in the deaths of six million Jews. Corleone’s denial is not only inaccurate but dangerous. His hatred must find no harbour in any Canadian city, including Montreal."
If you or someone you know has been the victim of antisemitism, or if you are interested in supporting organizations that are fighting antisemitism in your community, refer to these resources available in Montreal.
