Spike Lee: critics said Do the Right Thing would ‘incite riots’

Speaking at the Toronto film festival where he was accepting an award, the auteur recalled the press response to his 1989 film

Spike Lee has criticised press reaction to Do the Right Thing on its release in 1989, saying those motherfuckers" claimed the film would incite black people to riot".

Lee was speaking at an awards ceremony at the Toronto film festival, at which he was given the Ebert director award, designed to recognise film-makers who have exemplified greatness in their careers". The award is named after prominent film critic Roger Ebert, who died in 2013, and Lee acknowledged Ebert's support when the film received its world premiere at the Cannes film festival.