Protest in Paris against Vincent Bolloré's media influence draws Mélenchon and Adèle Haenel
Several hundred people, including politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon and actress Adèle Haenel, gathered near the Olympia concert hall in Paris on Saturday, May 30, to protest against what they called the 'ultra-conservative billionaire' Vincent Bolloré's grip on media and culture. The demonstration, called by the CGT Spectacle union, denounced 'the far right's cultural battle' and Bolloré's influence over the press, publishing, and cinema. Mélenchon told AFP that if his party wins the 2027 presidential election, 'the entire Bolloré trust will be dismantled' through an anti-concentration law.
Several hundred people, including far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon and actress Adèle Haenel, gathered near the Olympia concert hall in Paris on Saturday, May 30, to protest against what they called the 'ultra-conservative billionaire' Vincent Bolloré's grip on media and culture.
The demonstration, called by the CGT Spectacle union, denounced 'the far right's cultural battle' and Bolloré's influence over the press, publishing, and cinema. The Olympia is owned by Canal+, whose reference shareholder is Vincent Bolloré.
'Monsieur Bolloré met en danger la liberté de penser en France en créant un monopole idéologique sur la presse, la culture et l'éducation, dans l'édition,' Mélenchon, leader of La France insoumise (LFI), told AFP. He did not speak from the podium. 'Si nous gagnons l'élection présidentielle' in 2027, 'le trust Bolloré en entier sera démantelé,' he added, wearing a badge reading 'Zapper Bolloré.' LFI deputy Sarah Legrain called for an 'anti-concentration law' to achieve that.
Actress Adèle Haenel, who co-signed a mid-May open letter targeting Bolloré and denouncing 'the growing grip of the far right' in cinema, was among the protesters. Deputy Sophie Taillé-Polian (Ecologist) accused Bolloré of 'une entreprise de mainmise sur toute la fabrique de l'opinion publique.'
The protest comes amid a broader backlash against Bolloré's influence. At the Cannes Film Festival, Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada threatened to stop funding films by signatories of the anti-Bolloré open letter. In April, dozens of writers left publisher Grasset after the dismissal of CEO Olivier Nora, which they attributed to Bolloré.