France Bans October 7 Protests as London Permits Restricted March
French authorities banned October 7 demonstrations in Paris citing security risks, while London police allowed a student march under strict conditions to prevent community disruption.
Authorities in France and the United Kingdom took diverging approaches to planned demonstrations commemorating the anniversary of the October 7 attacks. In Paris, Police Prefect Patrice Faure banned a planned demonstration calling for a ceasefire and protesting the genocide in Gaza. The prohibition followed a request from French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, with Faure citing a heightened terrorist threat and historically high levels of antisemitism as the primary drivers for the decision.
In contrast, the Metropolitan Police in London permitted a student-led anti-Zionist march to proceed on October 7. Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman stated that while the protest was allowed, the police imposed strict conditions regarding the route and timing, and banned face coverings to minimize disruption to Jewish communities. Harman noted that the legal bar for a total ban on protests is high and was not met in this instance.
Simultaneously, a diplomatic incident occurred at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. French MEP Rima Hassan toppled the Israeli flag at an exhibition commemorating the victims of the October 7 Hamas attacks. Hassan claimed the removal of the Israeli flag was a protest and that the EU flag fell accidentally, but other officials and MEPs accused her of desecrating a memorial site and engaging in antisemitic provocation.
