Festival under fire for adding artist who killed girlfriend to lineup
[Photo by: Papillons de Nuit/Facebook]
French festival Papillons de Nuit is under fire for adding singer Bertrand Cantat, who killed his girlfriend, to its lineup.
An online petition was created demanding the musician be banned from the festival, but it refused to do so.
Read more: Another festival under fire for lack of women on lineup
According to NME, Cantat killed his girlfriend, actress Marie Trintignant, in a hotel room while his band Noir Desir were on tour in Lithuania in 2003. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, but was released on parole in 2007.
Fans created an online petition to ban the musician after Cantat was added to Papillons de Nuit's bill, which has over 66,000 signatures.
However, the festival released a statement guaranteeing the musician will still play. “We consider that our only criteria should be artistic,” it read, according to NME's translation.
The website also translated the online petition, which reads, “By inviting Bertrand Cantat, you condone domestic violence and violence against women.”
“Children, teenagers, men and women will participate in your festival: more than 70,000 people will be present. Young people who will grow up with the idea that, men who will leave your festival with the idea that, women who will listen to music with the idea that: That a man can kill women and quietly play music for thousands of spectators,” it continues. “Violence against women can not be eradicated from our society as long as festivals like yours but also film festivals, TV shows, or any other major events reward and invite murderers, rapists or criminals to be acclaimed and presented to the public as idols.”
Read the original petition (in French) here.
Papillons de Nuit will take place May 18 to 20 in Normandy. U.K. newspaper the Guardian reports Cantat already announced other tour dates planned, and only one has been canceled due to opposition.
