The co-founder of France’s far-right National Front party, Jean-Marie Le Pen, faces trial for inciting racial hatred over a swipe at a Jewish singer that was seen as anti-Semitic, judicial sources say.
Le Pen, 89, has a long history of lashing out at minorities. He already has several convictions for inciting racial hatred and Holocaust denial.
He made the remark about pop singer Patrick Bruel in a video interview posted on the FN’s website in 2014.
Asked about criticism from Bruel and other singers, he chuckled and said: “Listen, we will make an oven load next time.”
The remark was widely seen as a veiled reference to the crematoria used by the Nazis to incinerate Holocaust victims.
Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the French far-right National Front (FN) party, at the party’s headquarters on August 20, 2015 (Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP)
— AFP
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