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Petition to ban French TV channel gains 500,000 signatures
A petition to shut down CNews surpassed 500,000 signatures after the channel was accused of airing far-right views that contributed to a racist killing in the Paris suburbs.
In brief
A petition to shut down CNews surpassed 500,000 signatures after the channel was accused of airing far-right views that contributed to a racist killing in the Paris suburbs. A petition to ban CNews, a French TV channel owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré, reached 500,000 signatures after accusations it promoted…
Petition to ban CNews reaches 500,000 signatures
An independent petition accusing CNews of being a propaganda machine surpassed five hundred thousand signatures on the National Assembly website on Monday, meaning the issue could go to debate in the lower house.
Racist attack in Paris suburbs on October twenty-third
A man killed a Frenchman of Congolese origin and wounded seven others, including a child, in a racist attack in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière west of Paris on October twenty-third.
Suspect described targeting Muslims and Africans
A thirty-nine-year-old man charged with murder and attempted murder said he was targeting individuals who appeared to be Muslim, African, or North African, a prosecutor said.
“targeting individuals who appeared to be Muslim, African, or North African”
Suspect was avid CNews consumer
Contacts told French media the suspect was an avid consumer of CNews, while leftist politicians have accused such media of giving too much airtime to anti-immigrant rhetoric.
CNews owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré
CNews is among the media outlets owned by French ultra-conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré. The channel told French news agency AFP it would not comment on a political petition.
Channel denies promoting far-right views
CNews has previously denied allegations it promotes far-right views and racist tropes, saying it defends freedom of expression.
Green lawmakers call for accreditation withdrawal
Two Green lawmakers have urged the lower house of parliament to withdraw accreditation for CNews to protect democracy from racist hatred.
Protesters target channel headquarters
Protesters held up posters reading slogans such as CNews kills. On October seventeenth, protesters threw projectiles and broke windows at the channel's Paris headquarters during cost-of-living protests.
“CNews kills”
Channel previously hosted Kremlin propagandist
France earlier this year expelled Russian pundit Xenia Fedorova, who had been accused of peddling Kremlin propaganda on CNews. The channel has also been accused of broadcasting racist comments about Bally Bagayoko, mayor of Saint-Denis.
What matters most
A petition to ban CNews, a French TV channel owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré, reached 500,000 signatures after accusations it promoted far-right views linked to a racist attack that killed one person and wounded seven others on October twenty-third.
