France asks police to ban pro-Palestine protest in Paris

Many social media users hit out at the request made by Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin on 'public order' grounds.

2 min read

14 May, 2021

Toulouse Palestine flag [NurPhoto/Getty-file photo]

The French Interior Minister wrote about the request on Twitter [NurPhoto/Getty-file photo]

France's interior minister on Thursday asked police to ban a pro-Palestinian protest in Paris this weekend over the conflict with Israel fearing a repeat of "disturbances" during a similar situation in 2014.

Activists had called the protest in the Barbes district of northern Paris to demonstrate against Israel's use of force in the Gaza Strip as militant group Hamas fires rocket fire at the Jewish state.

Gaza's health minister said 119 Palestinians, including 31 children have died, while more than 830 have been wounded.

Read more: Republic of Islamophobia: The Rise of Respectable Racism in France

The toll on the Israeli side is eight dead, including a six-year-old boy and a soldier.

"I have asked the Paris police chief to ban the protests on Saturday linked to the recent tensions in the Middle East," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter.

Twitter Post

"Serious disturbances to public order were seen in 2014," he added, urging police chiefs elsewhere in France to also remain vigilant over demonstrations.

In a circular seen by AFP, he also urged local police chiefs to assure the "protection of places of worship, schools, cultural centres and businesses of the Jewish community."

Many social media users hit out at Darmanin.

"Your job, is to permit protests to take place out of respect for the Constitution. Not to ban them", Guillaume D. wrote.

Several demonstrations took place in France during July 2014 to denounce an Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip.

On 19 July 2014, several thousand protesters defied a ban on a demonstration at Barbes that saw violence lasting for hours.

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