The government of France has mandated a prohibition on all demonstrations in support of Palestine.
French Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, announced on Thursday a blanket prohibition on protests in support of Palestine in France, in light of the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
According to a document first obtained by AFP and subsequently reported on by other French media, Darmanin issued “rigorous directives” to prohibit “pro-Palestinian protests due to their potential to cause disruptions in public order.”
The minister stated that the structured arrangement of these banned demonstrations should result in arrests.
The ministry informed AFP, a French news agency, that they plan to make arrests of individuals responsible for organizing and causing trouble in the future.
Darmanin stated that over 100 incidents of antisemitism have been recorded in France following Hamas’ unexpected assault on Israel last Saturday, resulting in hundreds of casualties and provoking retaliatory strikes from Israel as well as a blockade on the population of Gaza, totaling over 2 million people.
Following a moment of silence held by National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet for the victims of the Hamas attacks, she received death threats and was subsequently given additional police protection for her home on Wednesday.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, will speak about the ongoing conflict in a scheduled address at 8 p.m. on Thursday evening.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany declared “zero tolerance” towards antisemitism on Thursday. In response to some individuals celebrating the Hamas attack on Israel over the weekend, Scholz has banned all activities linked to the militant group.
