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Flares and Clashes Disrupt Israel Philharmonic Concert in Paris as Four Are Detained

Police detained four people, reflecting a wider fight in France over protests targeting cultural events.

Overview

  • Pro-Palestinian protesters inside the Philharmonie de Paris twice set off smoke devices and unfurled flares, prompting brief panic and scuffles with audience members.
  • Musicians temporarily left the stage, then returned and completed the program after security removed the disruptors, the venue said.
  • French authorities said three women and one man were taken into custody, with prosecutors citing potential charges including violence, destruction and organizing an unauthorized protest.
  • The concert hall filed a criminal complaint and said this was the first concert at the venue to be disrupted, drawing condemnation from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
  • The performance followed weeks of pressure from unions and activists, including CGT-Spectacle, who urged cancellation or political context over Israel’s actions in Gaza, a call the Philharmonie rejected.