Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Cyril Dion’s On-Air Pollution–Terror Toll Comparison Prompts Backlash in France

Critics highlight the timing before the Nov. 13 commemorations, questioning his unsourced figures.

Overview

  • On France 5’s C dans l’air, Cyril Dion said Islamist terrorism caused 273 deaths in France from 2012 to 2023 compared with 500,000 to 1,000,000 deaths from air pollution over ten years.
  • The remarks were made during a segment tied to COP30 and were quickly clipped and circulated across social networks.
  • The SCSI police union denounced the comparison as a “terrible indécence,” saying it minimized Islamist terrorism.
  • Journalist Hugo Clément criticized the statement as “indigne,” asking what message it sent to families of Nov. 13 victims.
  • Reports note Dion did not cite sources for his figures on-air, and France Télévisions had not issued a public response as of Nov. 12.