A major march against anti-Semitism is taking place in Paris on Sunday, November 12th, at the request of the presidents of the French National Assembly and the Senate. The leaders of both houses of the French Parliament expressed concern that the Republic and the values they cherish are under threat and called for a collective response. The Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, also joined the march and reaffirmed their commitment to not letting anything pass.
The National Rally party was disrupted by a group of left-wing Jewish organization, Golem, who briefly tried to oppose the participation of the leader of the National Rally party at the start of the march, but were contained by the police. The National Rally party’s participation is being contested by the left and the majority due to the party’s past anti-Semitic history.
The President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, declared that the march against anti-Semitism should be an opportunity for a “republican awakening”. He was joined by the president of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, who expressed hope that the march would bring together as many citizens as possible.
More than 70 demonstrations against anti-Semitism have been announced throughout France. Thousands of people gathered in Strasbourg, Pau, Nice, and other cities to denounce anti-Semitism. In Pau, the mayor, François Bayrou, called for “national unity” as he addressed the crowd. In Tours, approximately 2,000 participants joined the call for a rally against anti-Semitism.
A tribute by the France Unbowed party at the Vel’ d’Hiv was disrupted by protesters. Members of the party and student associations had planned to lay wreaths at the site of the Vel’ d’Hiv roundup on Sunday, as they did not wish to participate in the afternoon march against anti-Semitism. But upon arrival, they were met by protesters with signs saying “Don’t touch the memory” and were prevented from accessing the site. The police had previously banned France Unbowed from holding a gathering at the site, as it had been declared too late, but had still allowed the wreath-laying ceremony. The tribute was expected to bring together around 500 people at the square of the Jewish Martyrs in the 15th district of Paris.
