"He should step back…" : mayors of several large cities ask Patrick Bruel to cancel his concerts!

Following the cancellation of three concerts in Quebec, pressure is now mounting in France. This May 20, the mayor of Paris Emmanuel Grégoire estimated on France 2 that Patrick Bruel, targeted by several investigations for sexual assault, would do better to suspend his career himself. “The presumption of innocence must be guaranteed, but including for the peace of mind of his defense, I think that he should indeed withdraw,” he declared, refusing however to demand a ban on the show from the prefect. A petition supported by feminist associations, already with more than 22,000 signatures, is also calling for the cancellation of its concerts. Without going so far as to formally request the cancellation of the representations, the Minister Delegate in charge of gender equality, Aurore Bergé, also took a position. On RTL, she in fact considered that the decision belongs above all to the person concerned: “It is a decision which belongs to him, to him, and which does not belong to me, nor to you. It is he who must decide if he wishes to continue to be on stage.”

Nancy, Marseille… things rumble around Patrick Bruel

In Nancy, where Patrick Bruel is due to perform at the end of October at the Zénith, mayor Mathieu Klein has also raised his voice. On Facebook, the elected official was straight to the point: “This does not seem compatible with the pursuit of an artistic activity involving public representations. I do not see how Patrick Bruel’s concerts could be held, in Nancy as elsewhere, and I am counting on the foresight of the organizers to suspend his tour.” near Marseille, where a concert is planned for October 30. At the microphone of France Info, Mayor Benoît Payan spoke of “the seriousness of the accusations made against Patrick Bruel by many women” and asked the singer “not to maintain his concert”. The elected official, however, wanted to recall the importance of letting justice do its work “peacefully”, while considering that the current situation did not allow these representations to be held.

A call “to a sense of responsibility”

In Brest, Mayor Stéphane Roudaut estimated that Patrick Bruel “should have the decency, without delay, to step aside while the cases against him are judged”, while recognizing that he does not have the power to cancel the concert scheduled for November 11. On the Saint-Étienne side, Mayor Régis Juanico also called on Thursday May 21 “for Mr. Bruel’s sense of responsibilities” so that he renounces his planned arrival on November 20, wishing to “take into account the alleged victims”. Beyond the mayors, other voices rise. The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet confided on France Inter that on a personal level, it seemed “obvious” to her that she would not attend his concerts, calling to “let justice do its work”. Meanwhile, the lawyer of Flavie Flament, who accuses the singer of rape when she was a minor, announced that new complaints should be filed in the coming days. Accusations that Patrick Bruel firmly denies. To be continued.