The arrival of Bilal Hassani in an old basilica for a concert had angered radical Catholics. The production announces this Wednesday the cancellation of this concert.
Bilal Hassani will not sing in the former Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains basilica this Wednesday. Faced with the controversy caused by the announcement of this concert within the local Catholic and traditionalist movements, the production indicates this Wednesday to give up this concert.
“In view of the threats made against Bilal Hassani and his audience in the context of his concert in Metz today, April 5, it is with regret, sadness and spite that all the teams – those of the production and the artist, have decided to cancel this concert,” Live Nation said in a statement.
“We cannot let a meeting which was to be a moment of joy, sharing and celebration, become a place of heightened tension and malevolence.”, further specifies the press release.
“We invite ticket holders to approach their point of purchase for any refund request.”
It all started with a message on the blog of the “Catholic Lorraine” collective, on March 28, crying out for “profanation” and calling on “faithful Christians” to a collective prayer in front of the concert hall, the former church of Saint- Pierre-aux-Nonnains.
Far right and identity circles
Believing that the singer’s performances “are nothing but pornographic”, the collective had announced the organization of a “repair rosary”: a gathering 15 minutes before the start of the concert intended to pray in order to repair the sins.
Relayed on social networks by several media close to the far right and identity circles, their call had been heard and raised fears of the movement of activists who could go beyond the framework of the department, according to territorial intelligence.