Anti-Semitism probe after comments hurled at philosopher during yellow vest protest
PARIS AUTHORITIES have opened an investigation into antiSemitic remarks hurled at a noted philosopher during a yellow vest protest in the capital.
The incident has helped to raise national concerns about the yellow vest movement’s ascendant radical fringe.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said an investigation was launched into “public insult based on origin, ethnicity, nationality, race or religion”.
A few demonstrators targeted philosopher Alain Finkielkraut with insults on the sidelines of a yellow vest protest through Paris on Saturday.
The shocking incident prompted criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron and other prominent figures.
Meanwhile, yellow vest demonstrators called for multiple rallies around Paris and some other French cities yesterday, including a march at the Arc de Triomphe monument.
The increasingly divided movement has held protests every Saturday since November 17, but some groups were holding rallies yesterday to celebrate the movement’s three-month birthday.
An online invitation to yesterday’s main Paris march said: “Let’s stay peaceful”.
Police fired tear gas and brought in water cannons and a horse brigade to disperse yellow vest protesters in Paris on Saturday.
The movement, which began as protests against a fuel tax hike, has broadened to include a range of concerns about France’s living standards and the economic stresses facing ordinary families.
Its name comes from the fluorescent yellow vests that French motorists must keep in their cars for emergencies. The protesters have kept pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron’s government, for the 14th straight weekend of demonstrations.