Protesters disrupted a performance by an Israeli orchestra in Paris, denouncing Tel Aviv’s actions in Gaza and accusing Israeli cultural institutions of whitewashing war crimes.
Flares were thrown, briefly alarming the audience and prompting musicians to leave the stage.
Pro-Palestinian activists also demonstrated outside Thursday night's performance at the Paris Philharmonic concert hall. Tensions over Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza have often spilled over into protests in France.
Four people were detained in connection to the protest, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in a post on X.
‘No Music for Genocide’
Last September, more than 400 singers and artists worldwide joined a cultural boycott branded “No Music for Genocide”, demanding the removal of their music from Israeli streaming platforms in response to the Israeli genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The campaign came amid harrowing images emerging of Palestinians, particularly children, who were suffering from hunger and deprivation under Israel’s assault.
Signatories included well-known international names such as Massive Attack, Primal Scream, Japanese Breakfast, Carole King, Rina Sawayama and MØ.
Israel had killed close to 69,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 170,000 in its brutal assault on Gaza since October 2023, before the offensive came to a halt under a ceasefire deal last month.
