France BANS all pro-Palestinian protests

France BANS all pro-Palestinian protests

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in central Paris on Thursday, in defiance of a controversial new ban on pro-Palestinian rallies in the country.

French police and members of the gendarmerie worked to disperse the crowds with tear gas and water cannons, visuals showed.

The ban had been announced earlier in the day, according to a message sent by French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to the country’s police, citing concerns about public order.

“Pro-Palestinian demonstrations must be prohibited because they are likely to generate disturbances to the public order,” said the minister. He added that any organization of such protests will lead to arrests.

Darmanin also called on the police to protect all locations visited by French Jews such as synagogues and schools, and said any foreigner committing acts of anti-Semitism on French soil will be “immediately expelled”.

The ban follows a deadly and massive attack by militant group Hamas on Israel over the weekend that killed more than 1,200 people.