French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo came under fire for a cartoon showing the queen kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck and drawing parallels with the death of George Floyd.
The publication, which had previously been scrutinized for the controversial cartoons, rekindled some anger a few days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed that their relatives and staff in the royal family were experiencing overt racism.
The image seems to repeat the horrific death of George Floyd, who died after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, despite Floyd’s desperate pleas for help to shout: ‘I can not breathe ‘.
The latest cartoon on the cover of French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo entitled ‘Why Meghan quit Buckingham’ shows the queen kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck as the Duchess says ‘because I could no longer breathe’, and shows comparisons to George’s death Floyd while in police custody in May in Minneapolis, Minnesota
The controversial cartoon, which sparked outrage online and among fighters and activists, comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombing interview with Oprah Winfrey aired this week. Pictured: The Queen and Meghan Markle together in July 2018
During the interview (photo), the royal couple claims that their family members and staff in the royal family experience open racism
The front page of the magazine shows the cartoon with the caption: “Why Meghan quits Buckingham.”
The queen is depicted pushing her knee into the back of the Duchess’s neck and Meghan replies, “Because I could no longer breathe.”
That comes when Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombing interview with Oprah Winfrey aired this week, with allegations that they experienced racism in the royal family.
People on social media and activists called the cartoon ‘wrong’ and ‘disgusting’.
Halima Begum, CEO of think tank Runnymede, said: ‘Charlie Hebdo, this is wrong on every level. The queen as the killer of George Floyd crushing Meghan’s neck?
The latest cartoon draws parallels to the tragic death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota last year
Meghan says she can not breathe? It does not push boundaries, does not make anyone laugh or challenge racism.
“It humiliates the issues and causes offense across the board.”
The campaign group WindrushAnchor said in response: ‘A weak and ill-considered reaction from Charlie Hebdo, which fuels the matter.
‘This brand of simplified satire has no place in the fight against racism. Totally horrible and sad. ‘
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘Is this the free speech that Charlie Hebdo is so passionate about? Has racism, disrespect and offense passed as satire? I’m sorry, but no Je suis for me.
‘This is nothing but racist unnecessaryness and hatred. Do better with your platform and grow big. ‘
Others accused the magazine of pimping ‘George Floyd’s trauma for a profit eye’, reports The Mirror.
George Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked outrage when video footage emerged of a police officer kneeling on his neck, although he said he could not breathe and members of the public begged him to stop .
Black Lives Matter protests took place around the world to oppose police brutality and racial inequality after his death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Activists and campaigners took to Twitter to share their dislike of the latest Charlie Hebdo cartoon, calling it “disgusting” and “wrong.”
Just this week, the Minneapolis City Council unanimously voted to pay an unprecedented $ 27 million to settle a civil lawsuit filed by George Floyd’s family over his death in police custody.
The news of the settlement was announced when the jury’s selection continued in the murder trial of Chauvin, who killed Floyd by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes last summer. ‘
And while some have simply expressed their outrage over the Charlie Hebdo front page, a human and civil rights activist @_SJPeace is calling for the magazine to be removed.
“A French magazine laughs about Floyd’s death … and Meghan Markle,” he said.
‘This magazine is notorious for being racist and offensive and emphasizing people of color. This magazine needs to be removed! ‘
Chauvin is kneeled in the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, in Minneapolis on May 25 for almost nine minutes. Shortly afterwards, Floyd was pronounced dead at the scene.
During the shocking Oprah interview, Harry and Meghan claim to have experienced overt racism from family members and staff, claiming that a member of Harry’s family even expressed ‘concern’ about ‘how dark’ their unborn son would be.
There has been much speculation as to which member of the royal family accused them of racism.
But during the interview, the couple would not make use of whom they deeply offended.
They also said the family did not support the pressure they were going through, which made Meghan feel suicidal and fueled their decision to leave the UK.
Harry said he was let down by his father, who he said at one point refused to take his calls and admitted there was still a rift between him and his brother.
Although they did not expect to get an easy ride, the royal family was apparently stunned by the ferocity of the allegations hurled in their direction.
Prince William was the first senior royal to directly address the series of allegations in the explosive Oprah interview, insisting that they ‘are very much not a racist family’.
There was a significant internal debate over whether many of them should be refuted, but instead the Queen personally opted for a ‘compassionate but firm’ approach.
Prince William spoke days after the interview to insist the royals ‘are very much not a racist family’, backed by the Queen and Prince Charles.
On Thursday, he became the first senior Windsor to directly address the series of allegations in the explosive Oprah interview.
This is not the first time the magazine has been criticized for its controversial cartoons.
In January 2015, the magazine was the target of a terrorist attack, in which 12 people were killed and 11 injured.
Two armed and masked men, who identified themselves as the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda, entered the news office and shot several staff members.
The attack came after the magazine published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Mohammed in 2012.