Barbara Butch returns to stage in Yonne after Grenoble boycott disruption; LFI call fizzles
One week after her Grenoble concert was stopped by projectiles, DJ Barbara Butch returned to the stage on Saturday evening in Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, Yonne, where a boycott call from La France insoumise failed to materialize, and she played for a crowd of about 400 people.
A disrupted concert in Grenoble
Barbara Butch, the Jewish and queer Parisian DJ who became a target of abuse after appearing in the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, saw her concert on 18 July in Grenoble halted. The local branch of La France insoumise had called for a boycott, and the municipality said the event was interrupted by "projectile throwing." Grenoble city hall announced it would file a complaint over the incident. Butch later stated she too would lodge a complaint against LFI, citing provocation to hatred and violence.
I am happy to be here.
Activists have accused Butch of signing a tribune supporting the Yadan bill, a proposed law to combat new forms of antisemitism. The bill was contested and has since been withdrawn.
A concert in Yonne, this time in calm
Saturday evening’s appearance took place at a small festival in the village of Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, in the Yonne department. It was the last date Butch had scheduled for the summer. Before the set, Fabrice Paris, president of the association Le Hameau which organized the event, said that "to guarantee the safety and the freedom of the artist and of our public, the security apparatus was really reinforced."
A strong police presence surrounded the stage, contrasting with the family-friendly, barbecues-on-the-riverbank atmosphere. Despite a boycott call from the local LFI branch, no protest action was organized, and no signs of contestation were visible. Instead, some spectators held up signs with the words "Barbara," and dancers enjoyed the set before the podium where the DJ was mixing.
- Grenoble concert is stopped by projectiles after a boycott call from local LFI branch; municipality announces it will file a complaint.
- Butch performs in Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, Yonne, without incident, before 400 people; earlier LFI boycott call does not lead to any protest.
Legal and political fallout
Butch has faced repeated homophobic and fatphobic attacks since the Olympic ceremony, and the Grenoble incident has escalated tensions. Her promise to file a complaint against La France insoumise for incitement to hatred and violence adds a legal dimension to the conflict. The Yonne performance, free of confrontation and with a visibly contented audience, draws a sharp contrast to the previous weekend, though the political context around her appearances remains charged.
