Overview
- Published on December 24, the caricature shows Diallo in Joséphine Baker’s banana belt and accompanies a special issue on the “gravediggers of laïcité,” with the drawing signed by Charlie Hebdo director Riss.
- Diallo denounced the image as racist and rooted in colonial-era tropes, saying it seeks to put her back in a racial and sexist hierarchy.
- Charlie Hebdo rejected accusations of racism, calling the reading a manipulation and saying the image illustrates criticism of Diallo’s positions on the 1905 separation law and her alleged preference for American communalism.
- Left-wing figures voiced support for Diallo, including PS leader Olivier Faure and LFI lawmakers such as Mathilde Panot and Sarah Legrain, with additional condemnations from officials like David Belliard and Christiane Taubira.
- The dispute is intensifying on social media as the magazine maintains heavy security established after the 2015 attacks, with recent reporting noting a threatening email under investigation and no public apology or legal complaint announced.