Brigitte Macron faces criticism after using sexist insult about activists

The French archetypal lady’s squad says she had intended to criticise a feminist group’s ‘radical method’ of protest.

French First Lady Brigitte Macron is facing disapproval aft a video emerged of her utilizing a sexist slur against feminist activists who disrupted the amusement of an actor-comedian erstwhile accused of rape.

Macron’s squad said connected Tuesday that she had intended to criticise their “radical method” of protest.

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The country filmed connected Sunday showed France’s archetypal woman successful treatment backstage astatine the Folies Bergère theatre successful cardinal Paris with histrion Ary Abittan earlier a show helium was astir to give.

The erstwhile night, feminist campaigners had disrupted his show, wearing masks of the histrion bearing the connection “rapist” and shouting, “Abittan, rapist!”

A pistillate successful 2021 accused the histrion of rape, but successful 2023, investigators dropped the case, citing a deficiency of evidence.

Before Sunday’s performance, Macron is seen successful the video, published by section media Public connected Monday, asking him however helium was feeling. When helium said helium was feeling scared, Macron was heard jokingly responding, utilizing a vulgar look successful French, “If determination are immoderate anserine bitches, we’ll footwear them out”.

The feminist run radical “Nous Toutes” (“All of Us”) said its activists disrupted Abittan’s amusement to protestation what it described arsenic “the civilization of impunity” astir intersexual unit successful France.

The radical aboriginal turned the insult into a hashtag connected societal media, #sallesconnes, and galore shared it successful a amusement of support.

Among those was histrion Judith Godreche, who has go a feminist icon since accusing 2 directors of sexually abusing her erstwhile she was a insignificant and calling for an extremity to specified behaviour successful France’s taste sector.

“We excessively are anserine bitches,” she posted connected Instagram.

An activistic who took portion successful the action, and who gave the pseudonym of Gwen to debar repercussions, said the corporate was “profoundly shocked and scandalised” by Macron’s language.

“It’s yet different insult to victims and feminist groups,” she said.

The archetypal lady’s squad argued her words should beryllium seen arsenic “a critique of the extremist method employed by those who disrupted the show”.

France has been rocked by a bid of accusations of rape and intersexual battle against well-known taste figures successful caller years.

Screen icon Gerard Depardieu was convicted successful May of sexually assaulting 2 women connected a movie acceptable successful 2021, and is to basal proceedings charged with raping an histrion successful 2018. He denies immoderate wrongdoing.

French President Emmanuel Macron successful 2023 had expressed admiration for Depardieu, saying  astatine the clip the histrion was the people of a “manhunt” and that helium stood down the presumption of innocence.

Opponents of President Macron connected the near helping of French authorities criticised his wife’s usage of a sexist slur, and immoderate said she should apologise.

The critics included erstwhile French President François Hollande. Speaking to broadcaster RTL, Hollande said: “There’s a occupation of vulgarity.”

But connected the French far-right, National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy said Brigitte Macron’s comments were delivered successful backstage and “stolen”.

“If each of america were filmed backstage saying things with friends, I deliberation determination would beryllium plentifulness to remark on,” helium told broadcaster BFMTV. “All of this is precise hypocritical.”