Bob Dylan Charged In France For Inciting Hate

In a 2012 interview with Rolling Stone legendary singer/songwriter Bob Dylan discussed racism in America when he said, “Blacks know that some whites didn’t want to give up slavery – that if they had their way, they would still be under the yoke, and they can’t pretend they don’t know that. If you got a slave master or (a Ku Klux) Klan (member) in your blood, blacks can sense that. That stuff lingers to this day. Just like Jews can sense Nazi blood and the Serbs can sense Croatian blood.” The Council of Croats in France (CRICCF) took offense to the remarks and filed a complaint with the French government which has led to Dylan being charged with “public insult and inciting hate” in France.

Ivan Jurasinovic, a lawyer for CRICCF, told the Associated Press that the group wants “a singer who is liked and respected in Croatia, to present an apology to the Croatian people” and clarifies that they are not seeking monetary damages. The article goes on to say, “France, home to about 30,000 Croatians, has strict laws punishing hate speech and racist remarks,” which may explain why the charges were leveled in that country. Bob was questioned and charged last month while on a visit to Paris according to the AFP.