Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior. – Jacques Witt / SIPA
The organizers of the demonstration in support of the Palestinian people scheduled for Saturday in Paris hope to obtain this Friday the cancellation of its ban requested by the government and which is generating a lively political debate. The ban was taken Thursday evening by the Paris police prefect, Didier Lallement, at the request of the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, due to the risk of “disturbing public order”.
To challenge this “unjust and abusive” order, lawyers for the Association of Palestinians in Ile-de-France filed an appeal for interim relief with the administrative court. Me Sefen Guez Guez, Me Dominique Cochain and Me Ouadie Elhamamouchi hope that the case will be examined during the day. “France is the only democracy to ban such a demonstration! “, Underlines Me Guez Guez, denouncing an attack on the freedom of expression” totally “disproportionate”. He also deplores the “political” nature of this decision.
“There can be no anti-Semitic demonstration”
The case divides the political class between supporters of the government’s demand – in the majority, on the right and on the extreme right – and those who denounce an “unacceptable” ban, led by La France insoumise (LFI). “There can be no anti-Semitic demonstration […]. We all have opinions about images. But this conflict must not be exported to the national territory ”, justified this Friday the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin. And the minister to recall the Parisian demonstration on the same subject which had degenerated into urban violence in 2014.
Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who this week gave his support to Israel, approved on LCI a “serious but justified decision”. The LREM deputy of Paris Sylvain Maillard, judged it “hard”, “but necessary to preserve public order”. “It is out of the question to import on our soil” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, abounded Friday on BFMTV the number two of LR, Guillaume Peltier. “It is better that there are no demonstrations”, in particular to avoid “anti-Semitic provocations”, abounded on CNews the spokesman of the RN, Sébastien Chenu.
Anne Hidalgo also against the demonstration
“Mr. Darmanin raises the risk of violence, it is a provocation on his part”, for his part estimated on France 2 the LFI deputy of Seine-Saint-Denis, Eric Coquerel, adding: “It is a geopolitical conflict, the problem is a colonized people who have their capital occupied against all UN resolutions ”. The PS mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, ruled on Friday that the government’s ban on the pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday was a “wise decision”.
“In 2014, we experienced extremely violent, very difficult demonstrations. The situation is very, very tense. And I think this decision is a wise decision, ”said Anne Hidalgo on radio J.
The clashes between Hamas and Israel had left more than 100 dead this Friday morning in Gaza, a Palestinian enclave under Israeli blockade controlled by Hamas, and nine on the Israeli side, and showed no sign of appeasement.