French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo was criticized for a cartoon showing the Queen kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck, drawing parallels with the death of George Floyd.
The publication, which had already been examined before because of its controversial drawings, again generated outrage just days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed they suffered overt racism from relatives and royal family officials.
The image seems to replicate the horrible death of George Floyd, who died after the policeman, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, despite Floyd’s desperate pleas for help crying: ‘I can’t breathe’.
The last cartoon on the front page of the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo entitled ‘Why Meghan left Buckingham’ depicts the Queen kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck while the Duchess says ‘because I couldn’t breathe anymore’, making comparisons with the death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last May
The controversial cartoon, which sparked outrage online and among activists and activists, comes after the duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey this week. In the photo: The Queen and Meghan Markle together in July 2018
During the interview (photo), the royal couple claimed to have experienced reported racism on the part of family members and officials of the royal family
On the cover of the magazine, the cartoon is shown with the headline: ‘Why Meghan left Buckingham.’
The Queen is depicted pressing the knee to the Duchess’s neck, and Meghan replies: ‘Because I couldn’t breathe anymore.’
It comes at a time when Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired this week, with allegations that they experienced racism within the royal family.
People on social media and activists labeled the cartoon ‘wrong’ and ‘terrible’.
The CEO of the racial equality think tank, Runnymede, Dr. Halima Begum tweeted: ‘Charlie Hebdo, this is wrong on all levels. The Queen as George Floyd’s killer crushing Meghan’s neck?
The latest cartoon draws parallels to George Floyd’s tragic death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last year
– Meghan is saying she can’t breathe? This does not exceed the limits, does not make anyone laugh or challenges racism.
“It lowers the problems and causes offense, in all areas.”
In response, the campaign group WindrushAnchor said: ‘A poor and ill-conceived response from Charlie Hebdo that ignites the issue.
‘This kind of simplistic satire has no place in the fight against racism. Totally terrifying and deeply sad. ‘
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘Is this the freedom of expression that Charlie Hebdo is so passionate about? Racism, disrespect and offense taken as satire? I’m sorry, but no Je suis for me.
‘This is nothing more than racist intolerance and hate speech. Do better with your platform and grow. ‘
Others accused the magazine of “promoting the trauma of George Floyd to make a profit,” reports The Mirror.
George Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked outrage when video footage of a policeman kneeling on his neck surfaced, despite the fact that he said he couldn’t breathe and members of the public pleading with him to stop.
Black Lives Matter protests took place around the world to speak out against police brutality and racial inequality after his death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Activists and activists turned to Twitter to share their disgust at Charlie Hebdo’s latest cartoon, calling it “terrible” and “wrong”
This week, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to pay an unprecedented $ 27 million to settle a civil lawsuit against George Floyd’s family for his death in police custody.
News of the deal was announced as the jury selection continued at Chauvin’s murder trial, which killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes last summer.
And while some have simply expressed their outrage over the cover of Charlie Hebdo, a human and civil rights activist @_SJPeace is calling for the magazine to be removed.
“A French magazine is laughing at the death of Floyd … and Meghan Markle,” he said.
‘This magazine is notorious for being racist and offensive and against people of color. This magazine needs to be removed! ‘
Chauvin is seen kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, for almost nine minutes in Minneapolis on May 25. Shortly afterwards, Floyd was pronounced dead at the scene
During the shocking interview with Oprah, Harry and Meghan claimed that they had experienced open racism on the part of family and team members, and claimed that a member of Harry’s family even expressed ‘concern’ about ‘how dark’ their unborn child was. he would be.
There has been much speculation about which member of the royal family they were accusing of racism.
But, during the interview, the couple did not realize who deeply offended them.
They also said the family did not support the pressures they were experiencing, leaving Meghan with a feeling of suicide and fueling her decision to leave the UK.
Harry said that he felt disappointed with his father, who, according to him, refused to take his calls at one point, and admitted that there was still an abyss between him and his brother.
Although they did not expect to receive an easy ride, the royal family would have been shocked by the ferocity of the charges thrown at them.
Prince William was the first member of royalty to directly address the series of allegations made in Oprah’s explosive interview, insisting that they “are not a very racist family”
There was a significant internal debate about whether to refute many of them, but instead the Queen personally opted for a “compassionate but firm” approach.
Days after the interview, Prince William spoke to insist that royalty “was not a racist family”, a movement supported by the Queen and Prince Charles.
On Thursday, he became the first Windsor senior to directly address the series of allegations made in Oprah’s explosive interview.
This is not the first time that the magazine has been criticized for its controversial cartoons.
In January 2015, the magazine was the target of a terrorist attack, which saw 12 people killed and 11 injured.
Two armed and masked men, who identified themselves as belonging to the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda, entered the newsroom and shot several officials.
The attack came after the magazine published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 2012.