2024 Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony threats condemned

The International Olympic Committee has condemned social media harassment of organisers and participants in the divisive Paris Olympic Games “Last Supper” segment of the opening ceremony.

The International Olympic Committee has condemned social media harassment of organisers and participants in the divisive Paris Olympic Games “Last Supper” segment of the opening ceremony.

DJ Barbara Butch has faced threats of “death, torture and rape as well numerous anti-Semitic, homophobic, sexist and fatphobic insults” her lawyer Audrey Msellati said on Tuesday after filing a police complaint and warning that the DJ would take legal action against anyone who seeks to intimidate her.

Paris 2024 organisers apologised for a second day for any offence caused and denied that the segment was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous 15th century painting of Jesus Christ with the 12 Apostles.

Games organiser spokeswoman Anne Deschamps said: “if any people were offended it was not intentional and everyone should focus on what the artistic director says about his intention and put an end to all of this”.

She said the inspiration of the sequence, called festivity, was “apolitical” depicting a pagan feast featuring gods of Olympus and the presence of Dionysus - the half naked man who was commonly called the “Smurf” covered in blue body paint.

The last supper scene from the Paris 2024 opening ceremony. Picture: X

Artistic director Thomas Jolly had earlier said the element, “was a great plan festival linked to the gods of Olympus.’’

He said drag queens were part of the act because “we wanted to talk about diversity and include everybody”.

Butch, who wore a silver headdress appearing to depict Jesus Christ had earlier posted an image of the moment above an image of Da Vinci’s original painting to her Instagram account saying “Oh yes! Oh yes! The new gay testament!”

Butch said she had let the personal attacks slide at first “to let the haters calm down”.

The speechless moment of the opening ceremony came when Gédéon, a, French artist, embodied the Greek God Dionysus covered in blue paint and covered with strings of flowers and fruit.,

But the attacks have become “more and more extreme’’, she said.

“All this for having had the chance to represent the diversity of my country through art and music, alongside other artists and performers I admire.”

The ceremony scene has outraged Catholic bishops and Christian groups.

The French bishops conference and two Vatican officials have criticised the portrayal and made formal complaints.

The former US president Donald Trump and X founder Elon Musk have also slammed the ceremony segment for its religious parody.

IOC spokesman Mark Adams said: “we fully condemn any harassment online against athletes or anyone involved in opening ceremony, this is supposed to be about sport.”