Politicians join thousands of protesters for Paris anti-Semitism march


Soraya Ebrahimi
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French politicians joined thousands of marchers in Paris on Sunday to condemn a surge in anti-Semitic acts in the country during the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The leaders of France's two houses of parliament called the protest after a three-fold increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents, compared with the whole of 2022, since Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy led the march, holding a banner with the slogan "For the Republic, against anti-Semitism".

They led several renditions of the French national anthem.

Police estimated 105,000 people took part in Sunday's march.

President Emmanuel Macron, whose decision not to attend drew criticism from some politicians, published an open letter supporting the march and condemning "the unbearable resurgence of unbridled anti-Semitism".

The run-up to the march was marked by wrangling over which parties should be represented.

The far-right National Rally's decision to take part prompted the radical-left France Unbowed party to distance itself from the event, although other left-wing parties attended.

Left-wing politicians have joined pro-Palestinian protests in recent weeks, including a march in Paris on Saturday.

Protesters hold a French flag and a placard that reads "anti-Semitism kills" in Paris on November 12. AFP
Protesters hold a French flag and a placard that reads "anti-Semitism kills" in Paris on November 12. AFP

Calls by Mr Macron in recent days for a ceasefire in Gaza, including in an interview in which he opposed Israeli bombing, have been welcomed by French leftist politicians but rebuked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Protests against anti-Semitism also took place in other French cities on Sunday, including in Marseille where about 7,000 people turned out, according to a police estimate.

Elsewhere in Europe, concern is running high over anti-Semitism and other forms of extremism.

In Britain, a large pro-Palestinian demonstration on Saturday was marked by skirmishes between far-right counter-protesters and the police.

Prop idols

Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.

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Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.

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Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.

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Updated: November 13, 2023, 5:32 AM`