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Protestations à l’endroit
d’une
ballerine associée à la droite anglaise
À Londres, une performance du célèbre
ballet Giselle a été interrompue
par une poignée de manifestants venus protester
contre la première danseuse Simone Clarke. Cette
dernière avait fait connaître, par le biais
des journaux, qu’elle était membre du British
National Party, un parti d’extrême-droite reconnu
pour ses positions contre l’immigration. Un article
de Peter Griffiths de l'agence Reuters.
British ballerina dances into political storm
By Peter Griffiths
Fri Jan 12,
Reuters
Around 50 protesters shouting the slogan "Ballet
not bigotry!" staged a noisy protest on Friday outside
a London theater where a ballerina and member of a far-right
British political party was performing.
The demonstration
outside the Coliseum threatened to upset the genteel world
of pirouettes and arabesques as Simone
Clarke prepared to play the lead in the romantic classic "Giselle."
The
performance itself was briefly interrupted by a handful
of protesters in the audience, but they were quickly bundled
out of the auditorium and the show continued.
The English
National Ballet's principal dancer was named in a newspaper
last month as a member of the British National Party (BNP),
a minority anti-immigration party.
Campaign group Unite
Against Fascism called for Clarke, 36, to stand down, saying
she has been used to "promote
and prettify extreme right-wing politics."
"There
is no place for fascist ideas in the arts," said
Donna Guthrie, 36, a campaigner for the group. "We're
calling on her to resign from the party or leave the company."
Thirty
police lined the street outside the theater as ballet-goers
arrived for the afternoon show. Most patrons expressed
support for Clarke, calling the protest undemocratic.
"They
talk about their freedom, but what about ours?," said
secretary June Mitchell, 58. "She shouldn't stand
down because of her political beliefs."
But one patron
returned her 20 pound ($39) ticket to the box office in
protest at Clarke's membership of the party.
"I couldn't
go in there and clap and enjoy the performance, knowing
that she is a member of a fascist organization," said
Judy Chan, 62. "I'd rather lose the money."
With
the approach of curtain-up, protesters drifted away, leaving
fewer than 20 outside.
NO REGRETS
Clarke has refused to back down.
"I will be known as
the BNP ballerina. I think that will stick with me for
life," she told the Mail on
Sunday newspaper. "I would rather it wasn't like that
but I don't regret anything. I will stay a member.
"I
have been labeled a racist and a fascist because I have
a view on immigration -- and I mean mass immigration --
but isn't that something that a lot of people worry about?"
She
said her partner Yat Sen-Chang, a dancer with Chinese-Cuban
roots, had urged her to join the party. Clarke could not
immediately be reached for comment.
Immigration has become
one of Britain's key political issues, with mainstream
parties pledging to tighten the borders. Political opponents
say the BNP is racist. Opposition Conservative leader David
Cameron has said its members "thrive
on hate."
BNP member Richard Barnbrook was outside
the theater, where he was greeted with shouts of "racist
dog" and "Nazi
scum."
"There's no reason why she should be ousted," he
said. "She supports a legitimate political party."
The
English National Ballet said it "fully supports
the democratic right of people to mount a legal protest."
"Any
personal view expressed by one of our employees should
not be considered as endorsed by the company," it
said.
Source:
Reuters
Retourner
au sommaire du numéro de février
© i-mouvance est édité
par le Regroupement québécois de la danse.
Les articles signés expriment l'opinion de leurs
auteurs et pas nécessairement celle du RQD.
Pour toute information : info@quebecdanse.org
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