This week, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that all pro-Palestine protests would be banned.
According to the BBC, the decision was made “as European governments fear a rise in antisemitism triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.” France reportedly has a Jewish population of 500,000.
In a statement, Darmanin stressed that foreign nationals who break the policy will be “systematically” deported.
“The organization of these prohibited demonstrations should lead to arrests,” the minister said. And, he announced that Jewish schools and synagogues would be protected by a visible police presence.
Darmanin reportedly told French radio that 100 antisemitic acts had been recorded since Saturday, when Hamas began its surprise attack against Israel (via BBC):
Most involved graffiti showing "swastikas, 'death to Jews,' calls to intifadas against Israel". However, some incidents included people being arrested attempting to carry knives into schools and synagogues, he added.
On Thursday, two pro-Palestine demonstrations in Paris were reportedly banned before Darmanin announced they would be banned across the country.
Despite this, several hundred protestors reportedly showed up at a rally on Thursday and it had to be broken up by police.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a similar “zero tolerance” of antisemitism, including all Hamas-linked activities.
Reuters reported this week that former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal called for protests across the world in support of Palestine.
"[We must] head to the squares and streets of the Arab and Islamic world on Friday," Meshaal said in a recorded statement sent to Reuters.
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