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Barbara Butch and her lawyer announced, on Thursday, July 23, several complaints in Paris and Grenoble. They target La France insoumise, certain local elected officials and representatives, the media outlet Omerta, and Alain Soral. A complaint against unknown persons is also being announced. The move follows the interruption, five days earlier, of her concert at Cabaret Frappé. It opens a second legal track, separate from the investigation already underway in Grenoble.
Complaints Announced, Without a Public Receipt
In a direct interview with franceinfo, Barbara Butch said she wanted to “let justice see who is responsible.” Her lawyer, Audrey Msellati, said the filings were scheduled for later that day. In a statement to AFP, she mentioned several possible charges. She cited public incitement to hatred and violence, as well as aggravated violence. She also mentioned obstruction of artistic freedom, aggravated cyberharassment, defamation, and aggravated public insults. According to her, not all of these charges would apply to every target. According to the agency, the complaint targeting Alain Soral concerns aggravated public insult related to a comment posted on X.
No receipt or confirmation from the Paris or Grenoble prosecutors’ offices was public at the time of writing. These are therefore announced complaints, the details of which by target still need to be confirmed.
Two Separate Legal Proceedings
Since Tuesday, July 21, the Grenoble prosecutor’s office has been conducting an investigation into “concerted obstruction of freedoms.” It has been assigned to the local judicial police unit. It concerns the interruption of the concert and is separate from the new complaints announced by the artist.
On July 18, the performance had been interrupted after about twenty minutes, when around a hundred pro-Palestinian protesters arrived. The City of Grenoble reported bottles being thrown, other projectiles, and an electrical sabotage. The DJ says she was targeted on stage and at her decks. No public evidence has yet identified all the perpetrators or legally attributed these acts to LFI as an organization.
Why Was Barbara Butch’s Concert Boycotted?
The Grenoble branch of LFI had supported a boycott call. Activists criticized Barbara Butch for taking part, in 2025, in an event at the residence of the French ambassador to Israel. They also targeted her support for the Yadan bill. This bill, against new forms of antisemitism, challenged in the name of free speech, was withdrawn in April 2026.
Manuel Bompard said he understood a political protest if it remained peaceful and condemned the insults if they had taken place. Mathilde Panot called the local flyer “bad.” She condemned the insults and the throwing of projectiles. She nevertheless rejected the accusation of antisemitism aimed at her movement.
AFP says it contacted LFI’s national leadership. It had not commented on the announcement of the complaints. The agency also reports that Omerta disputed on X being labeled a far-right media outlet. The outlet says it only criticized Barbara Butch’s performance at the 2024 Olympic Games. It says it is awaiting the proceedings “calmly.” No reaction from Alain Soral was available.
Responsibilities Still To Be Established
Barbara Butch is keeping her concert on Saturday, July 25, in Saint-Martin-du-Tertre, in Yonne. The organizer there announced increased security. Until then, complaint, investigation, and accusation must remain clearly separate: none of these steps constitutes prosecution, much less guilt.