Paris, France
Reuters
Thousands of marchers joined lawmakers in Paris on Sunday to condemn a surge in anti-Semitic acts in France during the conflict in the Gaza Strip, but arguments over political participation clouded an intended show of unity.
The protest, called by the leaders of France’s two houses of parliament, was prompted by a three-fold increase in the number of ant-Semitic incidents compared with the whole of 2022, according to French authorities, since Hamas’ 7th October attack on Israel.
French President of the National Assembly Yael Braun-Pivet, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, Senate President Gerard Larcher and Former Presidents of France Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy attend a demonstration against anti-Semitism organised by the two heads of the French Parliament, as a surge in anti-Semitic offences increased in France, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Paris, France November 12, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Political figures, including Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, headed the march, holding a banner with the slogan “For the Republic, against anti-Semitism”. They led several renditions of the French national anthem.
Police estimated 105,000 people had taken part in Sunday’s march.
President Emmanuel Macron, whose decision not to attend drew criticism from some politicians, published an open letter supporting the march and condemning “the unbearable resurgence of unbridled anti-Semitism”.
The run-up to the march was marked by wrangling over which parties should be represented. The far-right National Rally’s decision to take part prompted the radical-left France Unbowed party to distance itself from the event, though other left-wing parties attended.
Left-wing lawmakers have joined pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, including a march in Paris on Saturday.
Calls by President Macron in recent days for a ceasefire in Gaza, including in an interview in which he opposed Israeli bombing, have been welcomed by French leftist politicians but rebuked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Protests against antisemitism also took place in other French cities on Sunday, including in Marseille where some 7,000 people turned out according to a police estimate.
Elsewhere in Europe, concern is running high over antisemitism and other forms of extremism being whipped up.
In Britain, a large pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday was marked by skirmishes between far-right counter-protesters and the police.
