Anti-Bolloré demonstration near the Olympia: several dozen people gathered at the call of the CGT Spectacle union.

On Saturday, May 30, several dozen people gathered in Place Henri-Salvador in Paris, next to the Olympia—a venue owned by the Canal+ group, of which Vincent Bolloré is the majority shareholder. The rally, organized by the CGT Spectacle union, aimed to oppose what the organizers described as the billionaire's "takeover" of the media and culture, and "the far-right's cultural warfare." The demonstrators, primarily from the cultural sector, listened to speeches from a platform set up on a truck bearing the union's colors, in the sweltering heat. Jean-Luc Mélenchon was present, sporting a "Zap Bolloré" badge on his lapel, as was actress Adèle Haenel, who in mid-May signed an open letter denouncing "the growing influence of the far right" in the film industry.

A media empire at the heart of the debate, tensions already running high in Cannes

Through his groups, Vincent Bolloré has a presence in television and film (Canal+, CNews), radio (Europe 1), print media (JDD, magazines of the Prisma group), and publishing (Hachette, Fayard, Grasset). "Mr. Bolloré is endangering freedom of thought in France by creating an ideological monopoly over the press, culture, and education," Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who did not speak from the podium, told AFP. "If we win the presidential election in 2027, the entire Bolloré conglomerate will be dismantled," he added, referring to a future "anti-concentration law" sponsored by LFI MP Sarah Legrain. Green Party MP Sophie Taillé-Polian denounced "an attempt to seize control of the entire public opinion-making process." This gathering takes place against a backdrop of tension: at the Cannes Film Festival, an anti-Bolloré op-ed sparked controversy after Canal+ CEO Maxime Saada threatened to stop funding films by the signatories. In April, dozens of writers also left Grasset publishing house after the dismissal of CEO Olivier Nora, which they blamed on the group's main shareholder. Meanwhile, CNews, Europe 1, and the JDD are accused by some politicians of promoting a far-right editorial line, an accusation these media outlets deny.