Investigation initiated

Death threats cause a stir at the Olympics!

-(Bild: AP/Francois-Xavier Marit)

Following the spectacular and controversial Olympic opening ceremony in Paris, an official investigation has been launched into death threats made against those responsible for the show!

This was announced by the French public prosecutor's office on Sunday. Previously, the artistic director of the opening ceremony, Thomas Jolly, among others, had filed a corresponding complaint. Jolly and two other people responsible for the opening ceremony "have filed a complaint for death threats", the public prosecutor's office explained. The artistic director had previously filed a complaint about other hate comments, and the Office for Combating Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime (OCLCH) took over the investigation.

Allusion to Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci?
Jolly was widely praised for the brilliant opening ceremony. However, several scenes also triggered criticism in conservative and far-right circles. Particularly controversial is a depiction of a banquet of Greek gods, which is also reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci's famous Last Supper painting. It features several drag queens, a largely naked singer painted blue and the French DJ Barbara Butch, who campaigns for the rights of lesbian and overweight women. The latter also filed a lawsuit in response to the hate comments.

Jolly later explained that it had been about figures from Greek mythology. He had not intended to offend religious feelings. Rather, the scene depicted a celebration on Olympus, the mountain of the gods that gave the Olympic Games their name.