Petition to ban French right-wing TV channel hits 500,000 signatures

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 2 Nov, 18:26 · Archive

A petition calling for French television channel CNews to be taken off air has passed 500,000 signatures after a racist killing in Paris.

A petition calling for right-wing television channel CNews to be taken off air passed 500,000 signatures on 2 November, six months before France elects a new president. The petition was launched in June but gained momentum after a racially motivated attack in the Paris suburbs on 23 October, in which a 39-year-old man killed a French national of Congolese origin and wounded seven others, including a child. The attack took place in the commuter towns of Trappes and La Verrière west of Paris.

The suspect was charged with murder and attempted murder. He told prosecutors he was 'targeting individuals who appeared to be Muslim, African, or North African'. French media reported that he was an avid consumer of CNews, which is owned by conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré. Critics describe the channel as a French version of Fox News and say it gives excessive airtime to anti-immigrant rhetoric.

The petition argues that CNews is not an information channel but a 'propaganda machine'. According to DW News, critics have claimed the channel increasingly mirrors positions taken by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally, which leads in polls ahead of next year's presidential election. Protesters have held demonstrations against the channel, with some holding signs reading 'CNews kills'.

How it is being reported

• France: Petition to ban TV channel gets 500,000 signaturesSupport for the petition has surged since last month's shooting of a Black man by a reported avid viewer of CNews. Critics say the channel, often compared to Fox News, is a platform for anti-immigrant sentiments.DW News · 2 Nov, 18:05
• Petition to ban French right-wing TV channel clears 500,000 signatures after racist killingA petition calling for right-wing television channel CNews to be taken off air cleared half a million signatures on Monday after a Frenchman shot and killed a black French national of Congolese origin and wounded seven others.The 39-year-old shooter is believed to have been an avid watcher of CNews, which is owned by ultra-conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré and has been accused of routinely promoting far-right anti-immigrant views.France 24 · 2 Nov, 16:53

In this story: CNews · France · Vincent Bolloré · Marine Le Pen · Paris

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log