Over 182,000 people protested across France this Sunday, denouncing the increase in anti-Semitic acts since the attacks by Hamas in Israel on October 7. It is the strongest mobilization against anti-Semitism since the protest march against the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Carpentras in 1990.
With signs that read “Anti-Semitism kills”, “Anti-Semitism = Republic in danger”, “may the law protect us”, more than 182,000 people protested across France against anti-Semitism this Sunday, November 12, according to the Interior Ministry. The Paris police prefecture counted 105,000 participants in the major march in Paris.
Many political figures participated in these marches across France. In Paris, the two heads of Parliament, Yaël Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher, as well as Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande marched together.
At their side were current ministers (Gérald Darmanin, Eric Dupond-Moretti…), former heads of government like Edouard Philippe, and religious leaders.
In Strasbourg, several Insoumis deputies also marched. François Ruffin, Alexis Corbière, Clémentine Autain, and Raquel Garrido took part. François Ruffin justified marching in Strasbourg by an appeal from the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (LICRA) to gather against anti-Semitism.
For the Paris demonstration, Yaël Braun-Pivet and Gérard Larcher had announced that they would not march “next to the National Rally”. Indeed, Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella, and other members of the National Rally marched at the back of the procession.
Emmanuel Macron was notably absent from this march. “I have never been to any demonstration,” he stated, wishing to “be firm on values” and “act; otherwise, I can demonstrate every week”.
Throughout the day, other rallies brought together thousands of people across France. In Nice, nearly 3,000 people participated in a major gathering at the mayor of the city Christian Estrosi’s call and the local branch of the CRIF. In Lyon, over 3,000 people gathered at Place Bellecour in front of the statue of the Veilleur de Pierre, a memorial to French resistance to the Nazi occupation. In Lille, 1,300 people gathered, according to authorities.
An estimated 7,500 people marched in Marseille, among them the mayor of the city, Benoît Payan, the president of the Provence-Alps-Côte-d’Azur region Renaud Muselier (Renaissance), the president of the Aix-Marseille metropolis Martine Vassal, LR senator Valérie Boyer, and the senator from the far-right Reconquête party Stéphane Ravier. This last presence sparked an incident at the beginning of the rally, where a group of protesters jostled him and someone attempted to strike him.
