France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, has caused a stir in France over the way she spoke about activists protesting outside a theatre.

In the video released on social media on Monday, Emmanuel Macron’s wife appears to call the protesters from the feminist collective #NousToutes, who a day earlier had gathered outside the theatre starring actor Ari Abitan, “dirty bitches”.

This is the actor who, in 2021, was accused of rape by a young woman with whom he had a relationship for about a month. After a three-year investigation, however, the case was dismissed with the verdict being upheld in the appeal court last January.

However, the actor’s return to the stage has become a “red flag” for feminist organisations who regularly protest outside venues where he performs.

On Saturday, women wearing masks of his face leapt out of the audience at the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris, chanting “Abitan rapist!”

A day later, Mrs Macron was at the same theatre with her daughter. When she went backstage, the actor told her, “I’m scared,” with Brigitte Macron replying, “If there are protesters, we’ll throw them out, especially the masked ones.”

National Front MP Sarah Legrain was among many who criticised Ms Macron, writing in X, “Brigitte Macron insults the feminists who mobilised against the Folies Bergère”.

A spokesman for France’s first lady said, “This dialogue should only be seen as a criticism of the radical methods used by those who, wearing masks, interrupted Ari Abitan’s performance on Saturday night to prevent the artist from performing. Brigitte Macron does not approve of these methods.”