Police Arrest French Comedian For Being ‘Apologist For Terrorism’

Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

French comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala was arrested Wednesday for allegedly expressing sympathy for one of the Paris attack terrorists in a Facebook post, The Guardian reported.

“Tonight, as far as I’m concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly,” the comedian allegedly wrote, as quoted by The Guardian. The post has since been removed, and it combined the slogan “Je suis Charlie” with the name of Amedy Coulibaly, who killed four people in a Paris kosher market.

An anonymous justice source told The Guardian that Dieudonné was arrested for being an “apologist for terrorism.”

Dieudonné — infamous for his “quenelle” gesture that critics say is reminiscent of the Nazi salute — attended the rally for free speech in Paris on Sunday, which he also called “a magical moment comparable to the big bang” in his Facebook post.

The French government had previously banned the comedian’s show for anti-Semitism. The U.K. also barred Dieudonné from entering the country last year.

Latest Livewire
Comments
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: