Quebecer La Zarra, who represented France at the Eurovision Song Contest, explained that her middle finger after the results were announced was far from a gesture of “contempt”, on the contrary.
• Also read: Sweden wins Eurovision; La Zarra and France are in 16th place
“The gesture I made in the Green Room, which everyone is picking up on social media, is absolutely not disdain or insult. And definitely not a middle finger. It’s a gesture of disappointment on my part, meaning “whatever,” which could be translated as “so be it.” No more and no less. No desire to shock or provoke,” La Zarra explained in a story on Instagram after his performance at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Photo by Instagram/La Zarra
The singer, who placed 16th in the final, also apologized: “I apologize if that was misinterpreted.”
In an interview with the French broadcaster BFM, she explained that she has a dual culture (she is of Moroccan origin) and that this gesture was not negative. “It’s just a gesture of disappointment we do among friends,” she confessed.
🇬🇧🎤FLASH – Singer La Zarra, who represented France in tonight’s Eurovision Song Contest, gave the middle finger by spotting the audience’s viewpoints. (witnesses) pic.twitter.com/BiJor7nrf7
— NewsAlerts (@NewsAlerts) May 13, 2023
Remember that after the results were announced on Saturday, La Zarra reacted by raising his hand and showing his middle finger in front of the camera and the millions of viewers. This gesture triggered many reactions on social networks. Some netizens thought the gesture was “borderline,” while others accused the singer of “not being very playful.”