Even though French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin called for a ban on all pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the territory, several thousand people still gathered in Paris and other French cities to show their support for the Palestinian people. .
On Thursday October 12, Place de la République in Paris, several hundred demonstrators gathered in support of the Palestinians, despite the ban on this demonstration confirmed by administrative justice. Similar gatherings, also banned, took place in Rennes, Lille and Toulouse.
In Paris, despite the presence of law enforcement, demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Palestine will win” and “Israel assassin, Macron accomplice”, displayed Palestinian flags and spray painted the monument to the Republic with the words ” Free Palestine. According to the police headquarters, 24 fines and 10 arrests were made among the 3,000 people present.
These pro-Palestinian demonstrations were banned by the Minister of the Interior due to the risk of disturbances to public order after the attack perpetrated by Hamas in Israel. In a telegram addressed to the prefects, he also indicated that the organizers of these demonstrations and the troublemakers would be arrested.
The Paris administrative court confirmed this ban, citing a context of extreme violence and proven risks of exporting this violence to national soil, in particular due to the resurgence of anti-Semitic acts since the Hamas attack.
Despite these bans, the demonstrators wanted to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people and denounce France’s unconditional support for the State of Israel. Protest organizers stressed the importance of giving a political voice to the anger being expressed, saying they would not give up despite the restrictions.
These banned pro-Palestinian rallies also took place in other French cities, such as Nantes, Nîmes and Bordeaux, sparking debates about the freedom to demonstrate and international solidarity.
In conclusion, even in the face of bans and the risk of disturbances to public order, several thousand people mobilized to express their support for the Palestinian people. This mobilization demonstrates the importance of the debate on the situation in the Middle East and the desire of many citizens to make their voices heard.