Referendum campaign clips accused of racism
Supporters of the YES vote for independence were very shocked by the content of the NO campaign clips. These were cartoons in which a young Kanak boy was seen speaking with a strong accent. A voice-over explained to him why it was necessary to remain in France. They dealt with various issues such as purchasing power, security, nationality or education.
Humour or racism?
A group of voters then filed a petition with the Council of State (in Paris) to demand the withdrawal of the campaign clips, which they considered racist. For Boris Ajapuhnya, one of the authors of the appeal, these videos are “a form of racism that aims to degrade, humiliate and dishonour the Oceanian populations.
The Council of State did not need to take a decision on the matter as the promoters of the clips decided to withdraw them. In their defence, they explained that they had wanted to put some humour into the campaign.
