French Anti Semetic Comedian Barred from Entering Montreal

dieudonne
French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala (commonly known as Dieudonne,) well known for his anti-Semitism, was turned away by Canadian border services in Montreal yesterday ahead of a string of shows that he was set to perform in the Quebec province, according to Haaretz.

Earlier that same day, Dieudonne was convicted in France of violating hate speech laws, receiving a fine of $11,400. These events were far from the first times that the comic has faced legal action for his vocal opinions: In the past ten years, he’s been taken to court and fined no less than ten times, almost all of them a result of his inciting hatred against people of the Jewish faith. He’s a known anti-Zionist, and he surrounds himself with Holocaust deniers and fellow conspiracy theorists. While he’s never denied that the Holocaust happened in public, he has mocked the event and its survivors on various occasions, much to the chagrin of the French people, who take the history of World War II and the Holocaust very seriously.

Here, Dieudonne can be seen posing for a photo with friend and Holocaust denier, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

Needless to say, his controversial stances have drastically affected his career. After hitting it big performing as a comedy duo with French Jewish comic Élie Sémoun, Dieudonne went off the rails, and he now struggles to sell tickets to shows in his home of France. He still finds an audience for his politically and ethnically-charged comedy, but its a group that many people would find less than desirable.

Canada isn’t the first country to stonewall him, either. Britain and Hong Kong have also banned the comic from entering their borders. Yesterday, he added Canada to that list, as he was detained by customs before finally being told that he wouldn’t be allowed into the country.

The comic, ever stubborn, announced on Facebook that he “will be in Montreal tomorrow ‘in peace,’” implying that he will attempt to re-enter the country.

Denis Coderre, the mayor of Montreal, made it clear that the comic was not welcome in the city. David Ouellette of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs reiterated that sentiment, saying “It would seem that the [Canadian Border Services Agency] made the right decision today. Through his incitement to violence, glorification of terrorism, and anti-Semitic vitriol, he was clearly not admissible to Canada.”

Dieudonne is no stranger to controversy and opposition to his act, so he’s likely to persist until he gets admitted into the country or is told that he legally cannot enter. While this would be a significant hang-up for most comics, this is simply par for the course for Dieudonne.

 

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Bill Tressler

Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.
Bill Tressler
Bill Tressler
Bill is a writer and comedy enthusiast from New York. An avid gamer and podcast fan, he strives to always toe the line between charming irreverence and grating honesty.