More than 182,000 people took part in anti-Semitism marches in French cities on Sunday. The Ministry of the Interior and the police informed about it. The biggest event was in Paris, where about 105,000 protesters took to the streets. The Paris parade was called by the presidents of both houses of the French parliament and was attended by a number of politicians, including Prime Minister Élisabeth Borneo.
The marches are a response to an increase in anti-Semitic acts in France, which is related to the current Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip. This was launched by Israel in retaliation for the brutal attack by the Palestinian radical movement Hamas on Israeli territory on October 7. Since October 7, 1,247 anti-Semitic acts have been recorded in France, which is almost three times more than in the entire year of 2022, according to the AP agency, the interior ministry said.
In Paris, in addition to the prime minister, other representatives of various parts of the political spectrum joined the parade, including former French presidents François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, and far-right politician and former presidential candidate Marine Le Pen.
On the other hand, President Emmanuel Macron was absent, whose decision not to participate in the demonstration provoked criticism from some politicians. However, Macron published an open letter in which he supported the march and condemned displays of anti-Semitism. “A France where our fellow Jews have to fear is not France,” Macron wrote in the letter, promising to punish those behind anti-Semitic acts.
According to the AP agency, relatives of some French citizens who were killed in the October attack on Israel by Hamas and family members of people who are missing or have been kidnapped since the attack also walked in the parade in Paris.
