Valers Actuels’ article, entitled “Daniel Obono in the Age of Slavery”, is a fictional account of Obono’s return to 18th-century Africa, criticizing the French political class.
The story depicts a left-wing member of the National Assembly with a chain around his neck. Obo, a French-Gabonese native, took to Twitter on Friday, calling her a “racist shit.” Obono commented that “it looks like we can’t say anything now.”
“Luckily we can write racist shit in a raga, illustrated by images of black French African deputies drawn as slaves.” There was also an image with his comment.
Initially, Wallace Actuels responded to Obono’s comment on Twitter: “Shit? It’s a fantasy that sets the scene for the horrors of slavery by Africans in the 18th century.”
Speaking to French TV station BFMTV on Saturday, Tugduel Denis, the magazine’s deputy editor, said the magazine understood the “symbolic charge” of the image depicting Obono. Dennis said he “personally” offered an apology to Obono, saying he was “sorry to think we were racist.” Dennis defended the purpose of the story, saying he sought to show the “destroyer of history” that an international African slave trade existed with a European country.
Obono also spoke to BFMTV on Saturday evening that the article was “crossed a line” and was “an insult to my ancestors” and an “insult to the republic.”
The politician said the picture expressed the “reality” of racism and stigma that millions of our French citizens suffer. “
CNN has reached out to both Ob Bono and Valleys Actuels for comment.
Figures from France’s political spectrum have begun to react quickly, with the media criticizing the treatment of black French politicians.
The reaction of leading politicians
During his BFMTV interview, Obono confirmed that he had received a message of support from President Emanuel Macron.
Prime Minister Jean Kastex tweeted in support of Obono, saying he had “shared the wrath of Deputy Daniel Obono.” Kastex said the article guaranteed “clear condemnation” and added that “the fight against racism always surpasses all our parts.”
Taco’s show echoed Interior Minister Gerald Durmani, who in a tweet said “in the name of the principles and values of the French Republic, which should rest more than ever at the center of our political life.”
The lower house of France, the Speaker of the Assembly, Richard Ferrand, who called it a “slanderous representation of the Member of Parliament”, was also criticized for violating the Act. Ferrand also spoke of the fight against racism and said that “in the face of this rejection he has offered all my personal support and the National Assembly.”
Representative Minister for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities, Elizabeth Moreno, tweeted that when she “did not share Mrs Obono’s views”, he offered her all support. Moreno asked the magazine to apologize, adding that “racism was against republican values.”
French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moret commented on Twitter that French law does not prohibit such publications, saying “we are free to write a novel of grief under the limits set by French law.” He continued: “We are also free to hate [the novel]”He said he hated her and was with her.
The growing trend of racist pictures
Waller’s Actuels is a weekly current affairs magazine known for its right-wing attitude. Leading figures from the political spectrum, including Citizenship Minister Mallein Shiappa, former Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Macron, have been interviewed through this publication. A special “tête-à-tête” with Macron in October 2019 focuses on themes of immigration and identity.
A member of Obeno’s own left-wing party, France Insumi, Alexis Corbier, who was interviewed by the magazine, tweeted that “the crazy attacks of the press with hatred against my colleague Daniel Obono are unbearable.”
Wallers Actuels is not the only French magazine known for publishing controversial pictures of French politicians. The Minute, a small right-wing magazine, published a strategy in 2013 by former French Justice Minister Christine Toubira, which caused a stir. In the illustration, Toubira was depicted with a cover of the issue with the corpse of a monkey, entitled, “Toubira found a banana.” CNN According to affiliate BFMTV, the beer was paid 10,000 euros a day in 2015 by the Court of Appeals in Paris for “insulting ethnic character”.
During her BFMTV interview, Obono confirmed that she was advising legal advisers on whether to file a complaint against the magazine. “I am considering this because it is a characteristic element of public humiliation even though it is presented in the form of literature,” he said. Obono added that he is committed to “defending the notions of equality” and participating in the “fight against racism.”
Jean-Luc Mélenc નેતાn, the leader of Obono’s political party France Insou Mis, a “weakness teasing” Owino, who felt at the hands of publications such as A Weavers Actules, Marianne and Charlie Hebdo, was quick to tweet. The satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo reacted by saying that Malenchen had “thrown right-wing journal, Marianne and Charlie Hebdo into the same racist basket” by including his headline in his tweet. Hebdo said that although Obono “always refused to support us” he could not help but voice his “resentment” but not surprised by the racist representation made by the villain Valleys Actuels article and Daniel Obono.
Philippe Marlier, a French political scientist and professor of French politics at the University College London, tweeted on Saturday that “partly for this racist veracity of French politics under the protection of the values of the republic.” Is responsible.
During his interview with BFM, Deputy Editor Tugduel Dennis said Valerie Actules never “wanted to shock” or “provoke.” Dennis said that by handling news and often controversial topics as a magazine, the Valuers Act cuts “wherever others go, they go. According to Dennis, his readers are “disappointed” and “challenged by French politicians.” Dennis said readers of the magazine “find in it: people who are able to write about delicate, annoying and difficult topics.”
Martin Goilende of CNN contributed to this report.
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