MOSCOW, July 23 Artists taking part in the opening ceremony Olympics 2024 in Paris, refused to dance during a rehearsal and stood for ten minutes with raised fists, showing disagreement with unequal pay, Franceinfo radio reported on Tuesday.
The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games will take place on July 26 on the banks of the Seine. Earlier, the association of performing artists of the largest French trade union, the General Confederation of Labor, threatened to go on strike on the day of the performance. In particular, they are not satisfied with the difference in payment for related copyrights for broadcasting dancers' performances, which varies from 60 to 1,610 euros.
A video published by a Franceinfo correspondent on the social network X shows about a hundred artists standing on a platform near the Seine embankment with their right fist raised up. As the Parisien newspaper clarifies, they completely missed their part of the performance.
“We wanted to express our dissatisfaction today, since the day of shooting is an important moment, we rehearse on the set, without costumes, but with headphones, to the music. Cameras are also checked,” one of the dancers who took part told Franceinfo participation in a protest.
The Organizing Committee of the Games claims that the Paname24 agency, which organizes the opening ceremony of the Olympics, complies with the law and pays dancers more than the specified minimum fee. Negotiations between the two sides took place on Monday, but did not lead to anything. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, the material says.
The Olympics in Paris will be held from July 26 to August 11, the Paralympics — from August 28 to September 8.