Parisians protest against Islamophobia amid Gaza war tensions
A crowd of around 2,000 people protested in Paris against racism, Islamophobia and violence against children on Sunday after a court allowed their demonstration to go ahead.
Demonstrators gathered in Paris were holding banners including one reading "long live the resistance of the Palestinian people" during a protest "against racism, against Islamophobia" at the call of various organisations in Paris on 21 April 2024.
Bans on protests have been more frequent in France in recent months amid tensions stirred by Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza.
In a country that is home to large Muslim and Jewish communities, authorities have banned many pro-Palestinian demonstrations and public gatherings, citing the risk of antisemitic hate crimes and violence.
On Sunday, the protesters marched peacefully in Paris from the multi-ethnic Barbes neighbourhood towards Place de la Republique.
Many chanted slogans remembering Nahel, a 17-year-old of North African descent who was fatally shot during a police traffic stop last year.
That argument was rejected by Paris's administrative court in a fast-track decision.
"Fighting and mobilising for the protection of all children is normal, it should be," said Yessa Belkgodja, one of the organisers of the march, welcoming the court's decision.
(with Reuters)
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