SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Protestors hold Palestinian flags and placards as they gather at Place de la Republique in Paris during a demonstration in support of Palestinians on October 12, 2023.
(Photo: Ditmar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)
Parisians Defy France's New Ban on Pro-Palestinian Rights Protests
"We live in a country of civil law, a country where we have the right to take a stand and to demonstrate," said one Parisian who demonstrated.
Oct 12, 2023
Hundreds of French citizens on Thursday defied the government's newly announced ban on pro-Palestinian rights protests, gathering in central Paris to demand an end to the violence in Gaza.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the ban after reports of antisemitic incidents in France—including graffiti showing swastikas and anti-Jewish messages—which followed Hamas' brutal attack on Israeli civilians last weekend and the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) retaliation on Gaza.
At least 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children, have been killed so far in the blockaded enclave, prompting calls for a cease-fire from the United Nations and progressive lawmakers in the United States.
But Darmanin claimed that gatherings of people with similar demands were "likely to generate disturbances to public order."
"The organization of these prohibited demonstrations should lead to arrests," he said Thursday.
When Parisians gathered in defiance of the ban, police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons at the crowd.
"France banned Palestinian solidarity protests, but people still showed up," said Sana Saeed of Al Jazeera. "That's how it's done."
Charlotte Vautier, a nonprofit employee who attended the rally on Thursday, told Reuters it was unfair of the government "to forbid [protesting] for one side and to authorize for the other."
"We live in a country of civil law, a country where we have the right to take a stand and to demonstrate," she said.
The ban was announced days after France joined the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy in making a joint statement in support of Israel's right "to defend itself"—without calling for the protection of civilians' lives—as Israel unleashed an air assault on Gaza.
As U.S. journalist Paul Blest noted, police in Berlin also banned Palestinian solidarity protests this week, while U.K. Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer claimed Israel has the "right" to cut off Gaza residents' access to food, water, and electricity—a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
"The response to this from so-called liberal democracies has been nothing short of fucking insane," said Blest. "Incredibly grim times."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Hundreds of French citizens on Thursday defied the government's newly announced ban on pro-Palestinian rights protests, gathering in central Paris to demand an end to the violence in Gaza.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the ban after reports of antisemitic incidents in France—including graffiti showing swastikas and anti-Jewish messages—which followed Hamas' brutal attack on Israeli civilians last weekend and the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) retaliation on Gaza.
At least 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children, have been killed so far in the blockaded enclave, prompting calls for a cease-fire from the United Nations and progressive lawmakers in the United States.
But Darmanin claimed that gatherings of people with similar demands were "likely to generate disturbances to public order."
"The organization of these prohibited demonstrations should lead to arrests," he said Thursday.
When Parisians gathered in defiance of the ban, police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons at the crowd.
"France banned Palestinian solidarity protests, but people still showed up," said Sana Saeed of Al Jazeera. "That's how it's done."
Charlotte Vautier, a nonprofit employee who attended the rally on Thursday, told Reuters it was unfair of the government "to forbid [protesting] for one side and to authorize for the other."
"We live in a country of civil law, a country where we have the right to take a stand and to demonstrate," she said.
The ban was announced days after France joined the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy in making a joint statement in support of Israel's right "to defend itself"—without calling for the protection of civilians' lives—as Israel unleashed an air assault on Gaza.
As U.S. journalist Paul Blest noted, police in Berlin also banned Palestinian solidarity protests this week, while U.K. Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer claimed Israel has the "right" to cut off Gaza residents' access to food, water, and electricity—a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
"The response to this from so-called liberal democracies has been nothing short of fucking insane," said Blest. "Incredibly grim times."
From Your Site Articles
- Sanders Says 'Children and Innocent People Do Not Deserve to Be Punished for Acts of Hamas' ›
- Israeli Airstrikes Have Killed Over 320 Children in Gaza: Health Ministry ›
- 'A Massive War Crime': Israel Announces Total Blockade of Gaza Strip ›
- "The 'Never Again' of Our Lifetimes Is Underway in Gaza": Another Jewish-Led Protest Set for DC ›
- French Court Strikes Down Ban on Israeli Participation in Paris Arms Expo | Common Dreams ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Hundreds of French citizens on Thursday defied the government's newly announced ban on pro-Palestinian rights protests, gathering in central Paris to demand an end to the violence in Gaza.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the ban after reports of antisemitic incidents in France—including graffiti showing swastikas and anti-Jewish messages—which followed Hamas' brutal attack on Israeli civilians last weekend and the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) retaliation on Gaza.
At least 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children, have been killed so far in the blockaded enclave, prompting calls for a cease-fire from the United Nations and progressive lawmakers in the United States.
But Darmanin claimed that gatherings of people with similar demands were "likely to generate disturbances to public order."
"The organization of these prohibited demonstrations should lead to arrests," he said Thursday.
When Parisians gathered in defiance of the ban, police responded by firing tear gas and water cannons at the crowd.
"France banned Palestinian solidarity protests, but people still showed up," said Sana Saeed of Al Jazeera. "That's how it's done."
Charlotte Vautier, a nonprofit employee who attended the rally on Thursday, told Reuters it was unfair of the government "to forbid [protesting] for one side and to authorize for the other."
"We live in a country of civil law, a country where we have the right to take a stand and to demonstrate," she said.
The ban was announced days after France joined the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy in making a joint statement in support of Israel's right "to defend itself"—without calling for the protection of civilians' lives—as Israel unleashed an air assault on Gaza.
As U.S. journalist Paul Blest noted, police in Berlin also banned Palestinian solidarity protests this week, while U.K. Labour Party Leader Keir Starmer claimed Israel has the "right" to cut off Gaza residents' access to food, water, and electricity—a violation of the Geneva Conventions.
"The response to this from so-called liberal democracies has been nothing short of fucking insane," said Blest. "Incredibly grim times."
From Your Site Articles
- Sanders Says 'Children and Innocent People Do Not Deserve to Be Punished for Acts of Hamas' ›
- Israeli Airstrikes Have Killed Over 320 Children in Gaza: Health Ministry ›
- 'A Massive War Crime': Israel Announces Total Blockade of Gaza Strip ›
- "The 'Never Again' of Our Lifetimes Is Underway in Gaza": Another Jewish-Led Protest Set for DC ›
- French Court Strikes Down Ban on Israeli Participation in Paris Arms Expo | Common Dreams ›
Related Articles Around the Web
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.