Singer Nina Tonji sparks row by changing one word of French anthem before NFL game in Paris

Singer Nina Tonji has sparked controversy by changing one word of the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, before the NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New Orleans Saints in Paris. The game was held at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, outside Paris, on Sunday (October 25).

Tonji sang 'uni' instead of 'impur' in the line 'Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons'. 'Impur' means 'impure' and 'uni' means 'united', so the line's meaning changed from enemy blood watering the soil to united blood doing so.

The report said that in the original song, written in 1792 during the French Revolution, 'impure blood' referred to enemies and traitors, including French emigres fighting alongside foreign armies. Changing the word shifted the song's tone from excluding a foreign enemy to a message of unity with foreigners, the report said.

Although Tonji received a warm round of applause at the stadium, there was a large online reaction. Cerfia posted the song to its 1.3 million followers and highlighted the changes. RMC Sport posted it to its 2.7 million followers, saying the change caused 'confusion'. Francetvsport also posted the song to its 297,500 followers.

In replies to the viral posts, some people were willing to overlook the change, but a majority insulted everything from Tonji's voice and looks to the action itself, calling it a 'scandal' and 'disrespectful'.

The report also said Tonji was born in Montreal, Canada.

The incident comes at a time when France is on edge about immigration and foreigners during the past two weeks of civil unrest. According to the report, at least some of the protesters who took to the streets were immigrants; some rallied for anti-Israel causes, while others called for the overthrow of the current political system.