EELV has tried to turn the page on left-wing alliance NUPES by launching its campaign for the European elections as soon as possible. It accomplished this with a first event in early December entitled “Pulsing — a Rally for Living Things.” It’s hard to get people interested in European issues in times like these, so the media were invited along with a promise: there would be “plenty of surprises.”

The biggest surprise at the campaign event was a session of “Booty Therapy” (written in English), defined by the Booty Therapy website as “a practice that combines sport, dance and personal development.” Created by Maïmouna Coulibaly, Booty Therapy enables participants to “release their emotions and heal some of their traumas and trials, through collective exercises.” The practice is particularly aimed at women who have suffered violence, encouraging them to take ownership over their physical appearance and their history, through dances that get their pelvises moving.

Overshadowing the rest of the event, this twenty-minute dance class in the middle of the rally was sure to draw a response. At its best, it was considered embarrassing, comical, and unserious given the political issues of the day, or disconnected from the public’s expectations. Worse, it drew far-right attacks. The performers were subjected to appalling online harassment after their performance, because of their appearance and skin color.