A city in southern France has come under fire for displaying public posters that depict North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as “trash.”
The posters, which appeared on city buses in Béziers, have drawn criticism from local residents and foreign officials.
The controversial posters, unveiled as part of a new advertising campaign for the New Year, show the faces of the three leaders lined up side by side with a message at the top that reads, “Don’t forget to sort your trash.”
On January 4, the Béziers city government posted a photo of a bus displaying the posters on its Facebook account with the caption, “Start the year off right by remembering to sort your trash.” Béziers Mayor Robert Ménard, known for his pro-Ukraine and pro-Israel stance, reportedly endorsed the campaign.
The social media post received mixed reactions, with some commenters criticizing the campaign as inappropriate. Comments included, “I don’t like these figures either, but this poster is absurd,” and “A waste of taxpayers’ money.”
The Iranian government also condemned the campaign. According to AFP, citing Iran’s state news agency IRNA, Majid Nili, Director General for Western Europe at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, called the posters an insult to “the sacred values and dignity of our nation.”
In response to the growing controversy, Béziers authorities decided to take down the posters on January 9. Speaking to AFP, Mayor Ménard explained that the decision was made “as a precautionary measure”, adding, “We do not want to cause any risk to citizens, especially bus drivers.”
BY HAYJUNE LEE, YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]
