French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will not physically participate in the march against anti -Semitism scheduled for Sunday. However, he expressed his intention to be present in solidarity with the event in his thoughts. In contrast, far-right leader Marine Le Pen has stated her plans to attend the rally, sparking a contentious exchange between political parties. This development comes against the backdrop of a notable increase in anti-Semitic incidents across France.
Tens of thousands of people are expected to march in Sunday’s rally against anti-Semitism. More than 3,000 police and gendarmes will be deployed in the French capital to maintain security at the “great civic march”, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.
President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will not participate in the rally but will be present in spirit at the “great civic march.” Macron expressed concern about the escalating anti-Semitism in France, condemning the “unbearable resurgence of unbridled anti-Semitism” in an open letter published in Le Parisien. The recent rise in tensions in Paris, particularly after the October 7 Hamas attack and subsequent Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, has led to nearly 12,250 recorded anti-Semitic acts in France.
National Assembly speaker Yael Braun-Pivet and Senate speaker Gerard Larcher have called for a “general mobilization” at the march against anti-Semitism. They will lead the march under the banner “For the Republic, against anti-Semitism.” the march against anti
Controversy surrounds the attendance of far-right leader Marine Le Pen, with critics arguing that her party, the National Rally (RN), has not fully distanced itself from its anti-Semitic past. Despite Marine Le Pen’s efforts to rebrand the party, her critics view her participation as an attempt to capitalize on the Israel-Hamas conflict to gain mainstream support.
The hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party has decided to boycott the event, with leader Jean-Luc Melenchon criticizing the march as a gathering of “friends of unconditional support for the massacre” of Palestinians in Gaza. Communist leader Fabien Roussel also stated that he would not march alongside the RN, accusing it of having ties to individuals “