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FRANCE France: Threats, campaigns and media rage against heavy metal festival The ecclectic metal festival Hellfest in France received threats from religious groups. The media attention which followed doubled the festival's ticket sales 09 June 2010 France: Censorship row over festival's ban on rapper When the rapper Orelsan was taken off the poster of a major French music festival in the last minute, he became centre of a national debate over censorship 20 July 2009 France: Rap musician acquitted of 'defamation' charges On 23 September 2008, rap musician Hamé of leading French underground rap groups, La Rumeur, was acquitted after a long, legal battle against president Nicolas Sarkozy 25 September 2008 France: Rap musician under legal fire for 'defamation' For the last six years one of France's leading underground rap groups, La Rumeur, has been locked in a legal battle against current French president Nicolas Sarkozy. 26 June 2008 France: Petition to remove ban on Roma music at religious festival An online petition seeks to have a ban lifted on playing music in the streets during the Roma people's annual pilgrimage in Saintes Maries de la Mer 03 June 2008 France: Musician attacked by airport police On 9 September 2006 four police officers threw Russian-American trumpet player Valery Ponomarev to the floor, kicking and punching him, twisted his arm back and broke it 23 October 2006 France: New onslaught against French rappers The French government has reacted to the rioting in France’s poorest neighbourhoods by measures that include a clampdown on French rappers. 12 December 2005 France: Rappers blamed for stoking violence A conservative lawmaker in France has asked the French government to take legal action against music groups he blames for stoking the riots that engulfed depressed suburbs 02 December 2005 France: Jamaican reggae star’s concerts cancelled Six French music venues have axed scheduled performances of Jamaican reggae singer Capleton because of his lyrics against homosexuality 09 June 2005 La musique - un Droit de l'Homme 08 March 2005 Les droits des musiciens, des compositeurs et des auteurs 08 March 2005 La Rumeur: accused of inciting violence The French group from the Paris outskirts helped to redefine the hip hop scene in France.... but faced crippling legal court cases as a consequence 11 October 2004 Shoot the Singer! Book 'Shoot the Singer! Music Censorship Today' is the first worldwide presentation of contemporary cases of music censorship 25 May 2004 French minister warns 'hate' rap bands over lyrics The band Sniper has outraged deputies in the governing UMP party with "La France," a foul-mouthed anti-society rant that taps the deep sense of alienation of disaffected French youths 05 November 2003 Communiqué de presse: Rapport sur la musique et la censure au Nigeria 30 April 2003