Le Bataclan: Jesse Hughes’ Claim That Security Knew of Paris Terror Attack Beforehand Is ‘Insane’

During an interview with Fox Business, Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes implied that Le Bataclan security may have known about or even had been involved in the Nov. 13 terrorist attack which killed 89 people at the venue. Officials at Le Bataclan have responded to Hughes’ claim, calling the musician’s remarks “insane.”

The first half of Hughes’ Fox Business interview aired on March 9. The EODM frontman cited six security guards apparently not showing up and others acting what Hughes perceived to be strangely. “Out of respect for the police still investigating, I won’t make a definite statement, but I’ll say it seems rather obvious that they had a reason not to show up,” Hughes said.

In response, a Le Bataclan representative stated, “Jesse Hughes spread some very grave and defamatory accusations against the Bataclan teams. A judicial investigation is undergoing. We wish to let justice proceed serenely. All the testimonies gathered to this day demonstrate the professionalism and courage of the security agents who were on the ground on November 13. Hundreds of people were saved thanks to (these agents’) intervention.” [via Variety]

Hughes recently polarized fans and those affected by the Le Bataclan attack by speaking against gun control. During the second half of his Fox Business interview, Hughes criticized the police presence at Paris’ Olympia theater, where Eagles of Death Metal performed their first headlining show in the City of Light since Nov. 13, for not arming themselves.

“They didn’t bring the very tool of salvation that literally was on a flip of a coin whether or not it should have come into the venue, I want that to hit home,” Hughes said. “There were four, five, six, seven, eight different individuals who flipped a coin on whether or not to bring life into the venue, and they all opted against it because they didn’t want to deal with the holier than thou politically correct reaction of a bunch of liberal morons reacting to the mere presence of a gun, and the manner in which they would be savaged for simply being police officers. That made me incredibly distraught.” [via Alternative Nation]

Hughes added, "I don’t want to shoot anybody. I don’t want to do that. But I more than that, do not want to let the bad guys take any of my people, and I don’t want to go out like a punk. I don’t want to go out not able to move and wait for the killer to turn his gun on me while I sit there, no way."

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