Petition to Ban CNews Gains Over 500,000 Signatures
A petition to remove the French news channel CNews from broadcasting has attracted more than half a million supporters.
CNews, a French television news channel owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré, is the focus of a petition that has gathered more than 500,000 signatures.
The petition, which seeks to “remove CNews from French broadcasting,” was launched in June. It argues that the channel functions as a “propaganda machine” rather than an information outlet.
Signature numbers surged after a fatal attack on October 23 in the commuter towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris. A 39‑year‑old man was charged with murder and attempted murder after stating he was “targeting individuals who appeared to be Muslim, African, or North African.” The victim was a Frenchman of Congolese origin.
French media reported that the suspect was an avid consumer of CNews, a channel often compared to Fox News and criticized for giving extensive airtime to anti‑immigrant rhetoric.
At a rally in Aubervilliers, protesters displayed posters with the slogan “CNews kills.”
During nationwide cost‑of‑living protests on October 17, demonstrators threw projectiles and broke windows at CNews’s Paris headquarters.
Two Green lawmakers have urged the lower house of parliament to withdraw CNews’s accreditation, citing the need to protect “democracy” from “racist hatred.”
Earlier this year, France expelled Russian pundit Xenia Fedorova after accusations that she spread Kremlin propaganda on CNews.
The channel has also faced criticism for broadcasting racist remarks about Bally Bagayoko, the mayor of Saint‑Denis, a large suburb of Paris, who is of Malian descent and known for defending students against police violence.
CNews has denied allegations that it promotes far‑right views or racist tropes, stating it defends freedom of expression. When approached by AFP, the channel said it would not comment on the political petition.
The growing petition and related protests highlight mounting pressure on CNews amid accusations that its coverage may influence extremist attitudes.
