LCI pinned: a columnist of Darius Rochebin at the heart of the controversy after an imitation deemed racist

2/12 –

Darius Rochebin
Indeed, the presenter of LCI declared: “Good evening and thank you for being with us. And first of all these apologies after the sequence where our columnist Sergei Jirnov imitated a Chinese agent on the set of LCI”.

© LCI

3/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
But what happened? Sergei Jirnov imitated a fictional Chinese character on the LCI set, stretching his eyes and pronouncing the word “hello” with an Asian accent.

© LCI

4/12 –

Darius Rochebin
On social networks, this sequence has aroused many criticisms. So much so that the association SOS Racisme seized the Arcom.

© Twitter

5/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
The Association of Young Chinese in France denounced this scene

© Twitter

6/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
“Uninhibited racism shared on the LCI Youtube channel… The speaker imitates the Chinese accent with a “nihao” while pulling his eyes. This is unacceptable and inadmissible! We request the withdrawal of this sequence and an apology public.”

© C8

7/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
Many Internet users have also denounced this scene denouncing the racism of the gesture and the attitude of the former KGB spy.

© C8

8/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
For his part, Sergei Jirnov also apologized, also referring to Michel Leeb’s sketch:

© Twitter

9/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
“It seems that my little imitation of Michel Leeb’s sketch has offended some sensitivities at the AJCF, which is demanding an apology and the withdrawal of the video. ”

© C8

10/12 –

Sergei Zhirnov
“Apologies, I offer them.”

© LCI

11/12 –

Darius Rochebin
“For the video, they will have to stop relaying it themselves. Nobody noticed it before!”.

© LCI

12/12 –

Darius Rochebin
Not sure that this remark calms the criticisms written on social networks by viewers, who remained speechless in the face of Sergei Jirnov’s attitude.