Τα μέλη των Eagles of Death Metal, της αμερικανικής μπάντας που the US band who were playing at theBataclan when Isis gunmen stormed in and massacred 90 people a year ago, have been turned away from the venue’s reopening concert over controversial remarks made by their lead singer.
A venue manager said he refused to grant the group entry because of allegedtion from frontman Jesse Hughes earlier this year, suggesting Muslim staff at the Bataclan were involved in the attack.
Bataclan co-manager Jules Frutos told AFP: “They came, I threw them out — there are things you can't forgive.”
Hughes, a Donald Trump supporter, had told the Taki's Magazine website he had seen some "terrorists" in the Bataclan concert hall before the ill-fated show and saw "Muslims celebrating in the street during the attack".
He later claimed in a televised interview that security guards could have been complicit in the attack after claiming six members of security did not show up on the night for the event.
The Eagles of Death Metal were not banned from the Bataclan on the eve of the Paris attacks anniversary, their manager insists.
Reports emerged on Saturday that two members of the heavy metal group, including frontman Jesse Hughes, were barred from the venue’s reopening concert over comments made in the aftermath of the string of terror attacks, which killed 130 people last year.
Απαγορεύτηκε η είσοδος στο Bataclan, τον χώρο όπου έλαβε χώρα η πιο τραγική επίθεση από αυτές του Παρισιού, στον Jesse Hughes και ακόμα ένα μέλος των Eagles Of Death Metal.
Το Bataclan ξανάνοιξε χθες, μια μέρα πριν την μαύρη επέτειο του ενός χρόνου από τα τραγικά γεγονότα, με μια ιδιαίτερη συναυλία του Sting. Πάνω από 1,500 άτομα βρέθηκαν στον χώρο, με τα πρώτα 1,000 εισιτήρια να ξεπουλάνε μέσα σε 30 λεπτά. Εκατοντάδες εισιτήρια ήταν, επίσης, κρατημένα για επιζώντες της επίθεσης. Όλα τα έσοδα πήγαν σε δύο οργανισμούς που βοηθάνε τις οικογένειες των θυμάτων.
Όπως αναφέρει το ρεπορτάζ του AFP, οι ιδιοκτήτες του Bataclan δεν είχαν ξεχάσει της δηλώσεις των μελών του συγκροτήματος μετά την επίθεση και τους απαγόρεψαν την είσοδο. Ο Hughes είχε δηλώσει στην τηλεόραση ότι οι υπάλληλοι ασφαλείας του χώρου ήταν εμπλεκόμενοι στην επίθεση. Αργότερα ζήτησε συγγνώμη γι' αυτήν του τη δήλωση, αλλά πιο μετά σε άλλη συνέντευξη επανέλαβε αυτούς τους ισχυρισμούς.
«Ήρθαν και τους πέταξα έξω -υπάρχουν πράγματα που δεν μπορείς να συγχωρέσεις», είπε ο ένας εκ των διευθυντών του Bataclan, Jules Frutos. «Κάνει αυτές τις απίστευτα ανεδαφικές δηλώσεις κάθε δύο μήνες. Είναι τρελό να κατηγορείς την ασφάλειά μας ότι συνεργάζεται με τρομοκράτες. Αρκετά. Τέλος. Αυτό πρέπει να σταματήσει.»
However, the band's manager, Marc Pollack, denounced the co-manager of the venue, Jules Frutos, as a "coward" and claimed they were nowhere near the Bataclan at the time the alleged incident occured.
89 people were killed at the Bataclan Theatre on 13 November after gunmen opened fire during a concert by the US band.
Hughes provoked controversy by suggesting security guards at the venue may have been complicit in the attack as they did not turn up for work on the night of the attack.
He also claimed he had seen “Muslims celebrating in the street during the attack” in an interview with Taki's Magazine.
Mr Frutos is alleged to have said that “they came” but he “threw them out” because “there are things you can’t forgive”.
He said: "He makes these incredibly false declarations every two months.
"It is madness, accusing our security of being complicit with the terrorists. Enough. Zero. This has to stop,” Mr Frutos added.
But Mr Pollack has denied the incident ever took place as Eagles of Death Metal were nowhere near the venue on Saturday.
He told Billboard that Hughes had “never even tried entering the club for Sting’s show”.
He added: “This day is not about Jesse Hughes or Eagles of Death Metal.
“In fact, Jesse is in Paris to share in remembering the tragic events of a year ago with his friends, family and fans.
“This is about recalling the tragic loss of life that happened right in front of his eyes during his show, and this coward Jules Frutos feels the need to soil his own club’s reopening by spreading false tales to the press, and tainting a wonderful opportunity that could’ve been used to spread peace and love.”
Last night, Sting performed the first gig at the 150-year-old venue since the attacks, paying tribute to those who died and calling for a minute’s silence in their honour.
