Saint-Ouen Cinema Cancels Charlie Hebdo Trial Film, Prompting Political Backlash

A cinema in the Paris suburb of Saint-Ouen has cancelled a planned 9 July screening of a documentary on the trial that followed the 2015 Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks, drawing sharp criticism from politicians and local officials. Othman Nasrou, secretary-general of Les Républicains and vice-president of the Île-de-France regional council, condemned the decision as a retreat from republican values, arguing that France must not shy away from confronting its enemies or treating sensitive subjects. Saint-Ouen mayor Karim Bouamrane said the municipality immediately offered a public hall to ensure the screening could go ahead, calling on all defenders of secularism and republican principles to stand together in support of free expression.