French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo has come under fire for a cartoon in which the queen kneels on Meghan Markle’s neck and draws parallels to George Floyd’s death.
The publication, which has already been scrutinized for its controversial drawings, has sparked outrage again just days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed they had experienced open racism from royal family members and staff.
The image appears to replicate the gruesome death of George Floyd who died after police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes, despite Floyd’s desperate pleas for help, crying: “I can’t breathe.”
The latest front-page cartoon of the French satire magazine Charlie Hebdo entitled ‘Why Meghan quit Buckingham’ shows the Queen kneeling on Meghan Markle’s neck, as the Duchess says ‘because I couldn’t breathe anymore’, with which she draws comparisons to George Floyd’s death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last May
The controversial cartoon, which has sparked outrage online and among campaigners and activists, comes after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey this week. Pictured: The Queen and Meghan Markle together in July 2018
During the interview (pictured), the royal couple claimed to be experiencing open racism from relatives and royal family staff
On the cover of the magazine is the cartoon with the headline, “Why Meghan Quit Buckingham.”
The queen is depicted pressing her knee into the duchess’s neck, and Meghan replies, “Because I couldn’t breathe anymore.”
It comes as Prince Harry and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey aired this week, claiming they were experiencing racism within the royal family.
People on social media and activists have branded the cartoon ‘wrong’ and ‘terrible’.
Dr. Halima Begum, CEO of the Runnymede think tank, the racial equality think tank tweeted, “ Charlie Hebdo, this is wrong on every level. The Queen as George Floyd’s murderer crushing Meghan’s neck?
The latest cartoon draws parallels to George Floyd’s tragic death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota last year
Meghan says she can’t breathe? This does not push boundaries, make no one laugh or challenge racism.
“It lowers the problems and causes insult across the board.”
In response, campaign group WindrushAnchor said, “A bad and ill-conceived response from Charlie Hebdo that at least flares up the problem.
This kind of simplistic satire has no place in the fight against racism. Absolutely horrible and deeply sad. ‘
Another Twitter user wrote: ‘Is this the freedom of speech that Charlie Hebdo is so passionate about? Racism, disrespect and insult passed on as satire? I’m sorry but no Je suis for me.
This is nothing but racist intolerance and hate speech. Do better with your platform and grow up. ‘
Others have accused the magazine of “ pimping George Floyd’s trauma for profit, ” reports The Mirror.
George Floyd’s death in May 2020 caused outrage when video footage emerged of a police officer kneeling on his neck despite saying he couldn’t breathe and the public begging him to stop.
Black Lives Matter protests took place around the world to speak out against police brutality and racial inequality after his death in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Activists and campaigners have taken to Twitter to share their dislike for the latest Charlie Hebdo cartoon, calling it ‘terrible’ and ‘wrong’
This week, Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to pay an unprecedented $ 27 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by George Floyd’s family over his death in police custody.
News of the settlement was announced as jury selection continued in the murder trial of Chauvin, who killed Floyd last summer by kneeling on his neck for nine minutes. ‘
And while some have simply expressed outrage over the Charlie Hebdo cover, a human rights and civil rights activist @_SJPeace is calling for the magazine’s removal.
“A French magazine laughs at the deaths of Floyd … and Meghan Markle,” he said.
This magazine is notorious for being racist, offensive, and spotlighting people of color. This magazine must be removed! ‘
Chauvin is knelt around the neck of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, in Minneapolis for nearly nine minutes on May 25. Shortly afterwards, Floyd was pronounced dead on the spot.
During the shocking Oprah interview, Harry and Meghan claimed to have experienced open racism from family members and staff, claiming that one member of Harry’s family had even expressed ‘concern’ about ‘how dark’ their unborn son would be.
There has been much speculation as to which member of the royal family they accused of racism.
But during the interview, the couple would not be attracted to who seriously offended them.
They also said the family did not support the pressures they endured, which made Meghan suicidal and fueled their decision to leave the UK.
Harry said he felt abandoned by his father, who, he claimed, at one point refused to take his calls and admitted there was still a rift between him and his brother.
While they didn’t expect to get an easy ride, the royal family would be baffled at the brutality of the charges thrown in their direction.
Prince William was the first senior royal to directly address the series of allegations in the explosive Oprah interview, insisting that they are ‘not quite a racist family’
There was much internal debate as to whether many of them should be refuted, but instead, the Queen personally took a ‘compassionate yet determined’ approach.
Days after the interview, Prince William claimed the royals were “not a racist family at all,” a move supported by the Queen and Prince Charles.
On Thursday, he became the first senior Windsor to directly address the string of allegations in the explosive Oprah interview.
This isn’t the first time the magazine has been criticized for its controversial cartoons.
In January 2015, the magazine was the target of a terror attack, in which 12 people were killed and 11 injured.
Two armed and masked men, who identified themselves as belonging to the Islamic terrorist group Al-Qaeda, entered the newsroom and shot several staff members.
The attack came after the magazine published cartoons of the Islamic prophet Mohammed in 2012.