More than 180,000 people across France, including 100,000 in Paris, marched peacefully on Sunday to protest against rising antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, along with representatives from various political parties, including those on the left, conservatives, centrists from President Emmanuel Macron’s party, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, participated in Sunday’s march in the French capital under stringent security measures. Despite not attending in person, President Macron expressed his support for the protest and urged citizens to stand against “the unbearable resurgence of unbridled antisemitism.” marched peacefully on Sunday
Notably, the leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, chose not to participate in the march. Last week, on a platform formerly known as Twitter, Melenchon stated that the march would be a gathering of “friends of unconditional support for the massacre” in Gaza.
The interior ministry reported that at least 182,000 people participated in marches across several French cities in response to the call by the leaders of the parliament’s upper and lower houses. No major incidents were reported during the protest. Paris authorities deployed 3,000 police troops to ensure security along the march route, organized in response to the alarming increase in anti-Jewish acts in France following Israel’s conflict with Hamas that began on October 7.
France, with the largest Jewish population in Europe, faces the challenge of addressing antisemitic acts that evoke historical scars from its collaboration with the Nazis during World War II. Participants in the march, including family members of those affected by the initial Hamas attack, expressed their solidarity against violence and antisemitism. Paris police estimated the march drew 105,000 participants. Patrick Klugman, a member of the “Freethem” committee working for the release of individuals held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, emphasized the meaningful and symbolic impact of the large participation in reassuring Jewish communities in France.