France bans all pro-Palestinian demonstrations

In a statement, Gérald Darmanin ordered foreign nationals who break the rules to be “systematically” deported.

The move comes as European governments fear a rise in antisemitism triggered by the Israel-Hamas war.

Later a large crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators defied the ban in Paris. Police put the total at 3,000, and said they made 10 arrests.

A water cannon was used to disperse the rally at Place de la République, where demonstrators chanted “Israel murderer” and “Palestine will win” and waved Palestinian flags.

Earlier German police broke up a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Berlin.

In a video address, President Emmanuel Macron urged the French people to stay united, saying “let’s not add national divisions to international divisions”.

He said 13 French citizens had died in the massive Hamas attack on Israelis on Saturday, and of the 17 others missing four were children.

He called Hamas “a terrorist organisation that wants the death of the people of Israel”.

France has a Jewish community of almost 500,000, the biggest in Europe. France’s Muslim community is also among Europe’s largest – an estimated five million.

Mr Darmanin told regional prefects that Jewish schools and synagogues should be protected by a visible police presence.

He told French radio that 100 antisemitic acts had been recorded since Saturday. Most involved graffiti showing “swastikas, ‘death to Jews,’ calls to intifadas against Israel”. However, some incidents included people being arrested attempting to carry knives into schools and synagogues, he added.

French police are already guarding the homes of leading MPs. National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet and MP Meyer Habib have been offered further protection.

In a separate move, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared “zero tolerance” for antisemitism.

He told parliament a pro-Palestinian group that had celebrated the murders of Israeli civilians on Saturday would be banned.

Berlin police have also banned planned pro-Palestinian demonstrations, citing the risk of antisemitic statements and glorification of violence. Authorities said around 60 demonstrators complied with an order to leave Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz on Thursday.