Paris police ban October 7 'genocide' protest over fears of rising antisemitism, heightened terror

OCTOBER 6, 2026 17:24Paris Police Prefect Patrice Faure, equivalent to the French capital's police chief, issued an order prohibiting a demonstration "against the genocide in Gaza and for respect of the ceasefire" slated to be held in Paris on Wednesday, the police confirmed on X/Twitter in a Tuesday post.The order came at the request of French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, police said."In a context of heightened terrorist threat and while antisemitic acts remain at a historically high level in our country, such a demonstration on that day poses significant risks of disturbances to public order," Faure wrote."In the face of this, in particular, and in view of all the risks identified, my responsibility is to ensure the safety of all. I have therefore decided to prohibit this demonstration," he added.October 7 "marks the third anniversary of the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel and will give rise to numerous commemorations," Faure noted.Caroline Yadan in Jerusalem; illustrative. (credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)French MP representing expats, including those in Israel, praises police's decisionIn response, Caroline Yadan, a French member of parliament representing French citizens in the 8th constituency outside France, including in Israel, replied to the police's X post."Thank you to you, Mr. @prefetpolice, and to our Minister of the Interior @NunezLaurent, for taking the measure of the expression of this indecent and unacceptable hatred," she wrote.Additionally, anti-Zionist groups, including Antifa's Lyon chapter, denounced the police chief's decision in posts on social media, questioning whether "it's forbidden to be against genocides and for ceasefires," and saying, "OK, fascists."London's Metropolitan Police list conditions for student-led anti-Zionist march to go aheadMeanwhile, London's Metropolitan Police (the Met), which initially requested that a student protest be delayed, listed conditions for the march after allowing it to go ahead in a Tuesday statement."The march and rally is expected to start at Kings College London Strand and end at University College London via London School of Economics and SOAS. We have imposed strict conditions: Those taking part in the event must form up by 12:30hrs and remain in the shaded area (Lincoln’s Inn Field) of the first map below until the procession begins," the Met wrote.Demonstrators from the ''Palestine Coalition'' gather in support for Palestinians, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza went into effect, in London, Britain, October 11, 2025; illustrative. (credit: REUTERS/JAIMI JOY)"The procession must start by 12:30hrs with participants moving along the prescribed route. Anyone taking part in the procession must not deviate from this route as shown on the second map below – Remnant Street, Kingsway, Southampton Row and Russell Square," the Met added."The rally assembly must conclude by 14:00hrs when participants are required to disperse. No one taking part in the form-up assembly, procession or rally may wear a face covering that conceals their identity," the Met stated."We have imposed robust conditions on a student march due to take place on Wednesday, 7 October in central London to prevent serious disruption to communities," Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman said."The event is being held on the third anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel and the start of the ensuing conflict in Gaza. This will be a day of mourning and reflection for many in London. We know how concerned Jewish communities are at the timing of this event," Harman added."The stringent conditions will help us manage this event and minimize disruption. Anyone who breaches the conditions or commits offenses faces arrest," he added."We hear the calls for this event to be banned - Police cannot ban protests and can only ask the home secretary to do so if the risk of serious disorder is so high that it can't be managed by conditions. That high bar is not met here," Harman explained."Once more, I ask anyone who is intending to join the march to please reflect on the impact and distress it will cause on this very significant day, and exercise your right to protest on a different date," he said."We are also aware of a planned student protest at Marble Arch on 7 October between 13:00hrs and 16:00hrs. We will impose conditions on this protest requiring it to take place away from Marble Arch and local synagogues that congregants may wish to attend on this significant day," he added.French MEP causes uproar after protesting against Israeli flag in Strasbourg parliamentAdditionally, French MEP Rima Hassan caused a stir yesterday (Monday) after she toppled the Israeli flag at a display held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, which was set up to mark three years since the massacre. Some members of parliament claimed that Hassan also toppled the European Union flag and even stepped on the flags, but she denies this.The incident took place near an exhibition commemorating the victims of the Hamas massacre. French MEP François-Xavier Bellamy accused Hassan of taking down the Israeli and European Union flags, calling the act a “serious provocation of an antisemitic nature.” European Parliament Vice-President Pina Picierno also harshly attacked Hassan, claiming that she had “desecrated” the exhibition. Other MEPs criticized her and called for action.Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar responded to the outrageous event in a post on X: "Shameful, outrageous, but unfortunately not surprising," he said.According to him, "the desecration of the exhibition commemorating the victims of October 7 in the European Parliament by the radical left-wing MEP Rima Hassan testifies first and foremost to how little respect she has for the institution in which she herself serves.""I commend the members of the European Parliament who immediately condemned this shameful act, and thank the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Mazzola, for her determination and for making it clear that this type of offense will be treated with the utmost seriousness," Sa'ar continued.Mazzola said that the Parliament is taking the matter very seriously and that strong measures are planned. On the other hand, Hassan claimed that she only removed the Israeli flag as an act of protest, and that the EU flag fell by mistake and was not trampled.Picerno also condemned Hassan. She accused her of turning the memorial site into a photo op for cameras she claimed she brought with her, and of exploiting the memory of the victims for publicity purposes. The president of the umbrella organization of French Jews said that if the accusations are true, it would be a desecration of the memorial site.The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group joined the demand for action against Hassan. In its statement, the group also mentioned reports that she confronted an Israeli artist at the exhibition, but clarified that the description was based on press reports citing eyewitnesses. At this stage, no decision has been made on sanctions against Hassan, and the allegations of stepping on and vandalizing the flags remain controversial.Idan Kweller and Amit Avitan contributed to this report.Follow us on Google