According to French police sources, a Gaza solidarity demonstration called for Saturday in Paris by Hamas supporters has been banned by police authorities "due to grave risks to public order in a context of aggravated tension".
The sources refer to last Sunday's attacks on two synagogues which followed screams of 'Death to the Jews' in the streets of Paris at a similar pro-Palestinian demonstration of over 7,000 people.
‘’Such a mob marching on a Shabbat and baying for Jewish blood would have undoubtedly gone after synagogues filled with Jewish worshipers," said Richard Odier and Shimon Samuels, respectively President and Director for International Relations of the Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) in Paris.
“Let us remember this is not an attack on free speech and the right to assemble. This is to prevent a reoccurrence for last week’s outrageous violent attacks in broad daylight that threatened hundreds of Jews assembled in the synagogue of rue de la Roquette,” added SWC Dean and Founder Rabbi Marvin Hier.
The SWC leaders met Wednesday French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and expressed their appreciation for his immediate attention and concern for the safety of Jews in France and for the defence of the values of the French Republic