Charlie Hebdo: these 4 caricatures which sparked outrage recently, even among political figures

In recent months, certain caricatures published by Charlie Hebdo have particularly caused a reaction, even in the French political sphere. Here are the most notable.

Ten years later. On January 7, 2015, twelve people, including eight members of the Charlie Hebdo editorial team, lost their lives after the attack by the Kouachi brothers, French people of Algerian origin who had pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda. The cartoonists Charb, Cabu and Wolinski were among the victims. On this occasion, the weekly decided to release a special 32-page issue. The editorial staff of Linternaute invites you to look back at four drawings from the satirical newspaper which created a real uproar when they were published in recent months.

Emmanuel Macron, “the consultations continue”

She is perhaps the caricature that caused the most reaction, whether on social networks or in the political sphere. The drawing published by Charlie Hebdo and signed by Félix on September 4, 2024 caused general indignation. We can see Emmanuel Macron, naked, filming men each waiting their turn before raping Marianne, symbol of the French Republic, drugged with Rohypnol, the “rapist’s drug”. A drawing, published while the president was holding talks to appoint his new Prime Minister, and the Mazan rape trial had begun. “Consultations continue”, headlines the designer.

“Abominable! Do you have no respect for the dignity of such a courageous woman who fights to obtain justice after the horror she suffered? (…) You are neither funny nor iconoclastic: you are just monstrous”, tackled the LFI deputy for Essonne, Antoine Léaument, referring to Gisèle Pélicot and the Mazan trial. “Hideous”, “disgusting”, “disgusting”, it was also possible to read on social networks under the media publication.

Death of little Emile, “the nonosse who excites the pack”

A few months earlier, on April 3, 2024, the satirical newspaper published a front page about the discovery of the bones of little Emile, 2 years old, in Haut-Vernet. A design that was not unanimous, far from it.“Very very doubtful of your front page. In substance and in form. In very bad taste. It is not caricature or humor: it is having a particularly gloomy, even wicked, eye around a particularly horrible drama”, regrets an Internet user on the social network X. Another simply describes the newspaper as a “rag”. For the former candidate for the legislative elections under the Philippot banner, Tony Leprêtre, this front page is “vomiting”. According to him, “there are limits to humor”. The man said he was “disgusted”.

On a red background reminiscent of the color of blood, this publication from the satirical newspaper created a real uproar. We see two journalists, each equipped with a camera, running with a smile on their faces behind the skeleton of little Emile hanging on the line of a fishing rod. The criticism is clear and directed towards the press and the journalists who covered the affair. She denounces a potential over-medicalization of this affair which had shaken and moved an entire country.

The representation of Danièle Obono deemed “racist” and “infamous”

On October 18, 2023, the cartoonist Felix published a drawing representing the deputy of La France insoumise Danièle Obono with the following comment: “Gaza-Israel, peace, it’s possible France exchanges Obono for the Israeli hostages”. A message, and a representation which sparked a lively controversy in the rebellious ranks. “Racism and anti-Semitism in the same drawing. What a shame,” says Manuel Bompard, LFI coordinator and party leader.

The boss of the rebellious deputies in the National Assembly, Mathilde Panot, judges that the “Charlie Hebdo cartoon plays like ‘blessed times of the colonies'”. “Aren’t we bothering you racists?” she says to the satirical newspaper. The rebellious Arnaud Le Gall also denounces the “hook-nosed Israeli hostages” represented in the drawing. For MEP Manon Aubry, Danièle Obono is “once again targeted”, in an “infamous drawing”, specifies the president of the environmentalist deputies in the lower house of Parliament, Cyrielle Chatelain.

Earthquake in Türkiye: Charlie’s drawing creates outrage

While a series of earthquakes struck Turkey and Syria, causing at least 8,000 deaths according to the latest provisional report at the time, Charlie Hebdo decided to publish a cartoon on the subject. A production which did not go unnoticed and which provoked numerous reactions. Published on February 6, 2023, the drawing depicted a destroyed building, an overturned car with the following caption: “Earthquake in Turkey. No need to even send tanks”, in an environment of chaos.

An implication which notably brings to mind Turkey’s position regarding the conflict in Ukraine. Indeed, Ankara has positioned itself as a mediator since the start of the war with Vladimir Putin’s army.

“Even the Turks had been “Charlie Hebdo” to share your pain and today you dare to make fun of the suffering of an entire people. You really have to have some nerve to do that while there are still babies who are waiting for help under the rubble”, declared in particular under the publication of the media onÖznur Küçüker Sirene, Turkish andspecialist in international relations. “Charlie is good at detecting imbeciles. This drawing is a criticism of Turkish policy in the region,” adds a second Internet user.