Arthur de Laborde / Photo credits: Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP
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9:38 a.m., November 8, 2023
Faced with the increase in anti-Semitic acts in France since the Hamas attack in Israel, the president of the National Assembly and the Senate are calling for a major march against anti-Semitism on Sunday. While they hoped that the event would meet with unanimity, it mostly met with discord.
The call was launched in a column published this Tuesday by Le Figaro. The President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet and the President of the Senate Gérard Larcher called on “all those who recognize themselves in the values of our Republic” to participate on Sunday in a “great civic march” against anti-Semitism, a month after the October 7 attack in Israel and the increase in the number of anti-Semitic acts in France.
The RN will parade on Sunday
If this march were to be that of national harmony, it is ultimately far from being unanimous, like Jean-Luc Mélenchon. The former leader of La France insoumise described on X (formerly Twitter) as a meeting “of friends of unconditional support for the massacre (in Gaza editor’s note)”.
Sunday demonstration of the “republican arc” of the RN at the macronie of Braun-Pivet. And under the pretext of anti-Semitism, brings back Israel-Palestine without demanding a ceasefire. Friends of unconditional support for the massacre have their meeting.
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) November 7, 2023
His colleague coordinator of La France insoumise Manuel Bompard believes that it would be “incongruous to participate in a demonstration of this nature in the presence of the National Rally”. But Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella quickly announced that they would take part in the procession.
“Do not be complicit in the trivialization of a party founded by anti-Semites”
The presence of the RN could also lead several other left-wing elected officials to boycott this march against anti-Semitism. It also sows trouble within the majority. “I solemnly appeal not to be complicit in the trivialization of a party founded by anti-Semites,” responded the president of Renaissance. Stéphane Séjourné specifies that his party will be present on Sunday but that it will not march “behind the same banner” as the National Rally.