Paris braces for pro-Palestinians demonstration despite ban

Paris braced for possible clashes on Saturday as organisers vowed to hold a march in support of the Palestinians through the French capital despite a ban by authorities fearing a flare-up of anti-Semitic violence.

Police have ordered shops to close from noon along the planned route, from the heavily immigrant Barbes neighbourhood in the north to the place de la Bastille.

Police had banned the march, and a court upheld the decision, fearing a repeat of fierce clashes that erupted during a similar Paris demonstration during the last Israel-Palestinians war in 2014, when protesters took aim at synagogues and other Israeli and Jewish targets.

“We all remember that extremely troubling protest where terrible phrases like ‘death to Jews’ were yelled,” Mayor Anne Hidalgo told AFP on Friday, welcoming the “wise” decision by the police to ban the march.

Similar protests in Germany and Denmark this week have degenerated into clashes leading to several arrests.

Organisers of the Paris march, who failed to have a court overturn the police ban, have announced a press conference for 1pm (1100 GMT) ahead of the expected 3pm start.

“We refuse to silence our solidarity with the Palestinians, and we will not be prevented from demonstrating,” the Association of Palestinians in Ile-de-France, the region encompassing the capital, and other groups said in a statement.

They include anti-fascist associations, the citizens’ activist group Attac and the far-left New Anti-Capitalist party.

The police department warned on Twitter that anyone taking part would face fines of 135 euros (US$165).