While the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris proceeded without much incident, it has still attracted criticism from conservatives.
The Olympic Games opened on Friday after a rainy ceremony, but despite the weather, it lasted about four hours and went fairly smoothly despite arson and other acts of vandalism on the railway system before the games began, but there was no indication of a direct link to the Olympics.
In spite of the successful part on the technical side, many groups in European countries have expressed their concerns about how exactly the ceremony went off. MEP Marion Maréchal, niece of Marine Le Pen, expressed anger at the presentation, stating that “it’s hard to appreciate the few successful scenes, between the beheaded Marie Antoinette, the kissing couple, the transvestites, the humiliation of the Democratic Guard forced to dance with Aya Nakamura, and the general ugliness of the costumes and choreography.”
To all the Christians of the world who are watching the #Paris2024 ceremony and felt insulted by this drag queen parody of the Last Supper, know that this is not France that is speaking but a left-wing minority ready for any provocation, she further stated on X.
Last Supper parody
The ceremony also featured a drag queen performance, an apparent parody of The Last Supper has drawn sharp criticism on social media, especially from the Christian community. The performance featured 18 people posing around a long table, similar to the way Jesus and his twelve apostles are depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s painting. Attention was drawn to the woman with a large silver headdress resembling a halo, as in paintings depicting Jesus, and there was particular criticism of the man painted blue and covered only by a garland of flowers and fruit.
I’m truly speechless. So disrespectful towards many athletes from other nations at the #OlympicGames, Velina Tchakarova said.
The broadcaster Neil Boylan said the depiction of the Last Supper was disrespectful and inflammatory. He said: “Jesus is portrayed as a woman and the disciples as transvestites. I wonder why they didn’t mock Islam in a similar way.”
Migration, Housing, War in Gaza
The issue of migrants on the streets of Paris was also hotly debated, as French authorities have been cleaning up migrant and homeless camps for months. Several associations gathered for the so-called “counter-opening ceremony,” making speeches about the cost of the Games. They said the authorities were using the Games as an excuse for social cleansing, removing migrants and homeless people from the streets to make the city look attractive, ABC reported.
Banners read: “JO de l’exclusion, 12,500 personnes éxpulsées” (Games of exclusion, 12,500 evicted), “La France, championne du mal-logement” (France, champion of poor housing). Another read: “L’heure est grave. Pas de logements, pas de Jo’ (The situation is serious. No housing, no Games).
There was also an error in referring to South Korea as North Korea over the speakerphone system, in both French and English. The French-speaking announcer said: “Republique populaire democratique de Coree,” while the English-speaking announcer added: “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the official name of North Korea. The subtitles of the broadcast correctly stated “Republic of Korea.”
Another point of contention concerns France’s ban on female athletes competing for the host country from wearing the hijab during the Games. In September, then French Sports Minister Amélie Oudea-Castera announced that French athletes would be banned from wearing the hijab during the Olympic Games. The decision drew heavy criticism, especially since France is home to one of the largest Muslim communities in Europe.
The Olympics are taking place against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has left more than 39,000 people dead since 7 October. Palestinians and pro-Palestinian protesters around the world have called on the IOC to exclude Israel from the Olympics. Many argue that Israel’s actions against Palestinians disqualify it from the Games, comparing it to South Africa, which banned from the Olympics from 1964 to 1988 because of its apartheid policies.
