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Paris Police Ban October 7 'Genocide' Protest over Fears of Rising Antisemitism, Heightened Terror
Paris Police Prefect Patrice Faure prohibited a Gaza-related demonstration scheduled for Wednesday, October 7 at the request of French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, citing security risks.
Faure noted the date "marks the third anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel" and cited a "context of heightened terrorist threat" as reasons for the ban.
French MEP Rima Hassan toppled an Israeli flag Monday at the European Parliament display marking the anniversary. French MP Caroline Yadan thanked authorities for "taking the measure of the expression of this indecent and unacceptable hatred."
London authorities restricted student marches planned for Wednesday, as Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said they "imposed robust conditions" to prevent disruption on the "very significant day" of mourning.
Groups including Antifa's Lyon chapter denounced the police decision, questioning whether "it's forbidden to be against genocides and for ceasefires," while authorities maintained the prohibition was necessary for safety.
The Paris Administrative Court found that the demonstration organized by the collective Urgence Palestine did not pose a sufficiently marked risk of disorder to public order. The gathering is scheduled for Wednesday evening, the day of the commemorations of 7 October.
A call for protest in Vénissieux had been circulating on social networks for several days. Three years after the massacres of 7 October in Israel, the prefecture decided to ban any gathering.