Dior suspends John Galliano after arrest for street abuse

Christian Dior has suspended its star British fashion designer John Galliano after he was arrested for an alleged assault and making antisemitic remarks after a late-night drinking session. Galliano was escorted home by French police late on Thursday after what police said was a drinking session that ended with him hurling insults at a couple. The chief executive of Dior, Sidney Toledano, said Galliano had been removed from his post. "Dior affirms with the utmost conviction its policy of zero tolerance towards any antisemitic or racist words or behaviour. Pending the results of the inquiry Christian Dior has suspended John Galliano from his responsibilities." The flamboyant designer was arrested in the Marais district after allegedly verbally accosting a couple sitting on a cafe terrace. Galliano had been drinking at a bar beforehand. He was arrested and taken to a police station, where a sobriety test showed him to be just over the legal limit. Police took him to his home without filing any charges. He was released on the recommendation of the state prosecutor. One police source told Reuters the outburst had been prompted by stress before the upcoming Paris fashion week at which Dior's show is always in the spotlight. Galliano, 50, took the creative reins of Dior in 1996. He has been based in Paris for 20 years and is a regular face in the Marais district, where he has often been seen driving an old-fashioned yellow taxi. The area is the historic centre of the Jewish community in Paris and was heavily targeted in the deportation roundups of the Nazi occupation. In recent years its narrow streets have been taken over by fashionable shops and bars.