Above photo: Thousands rallied in Paris on October 22, condemning Israeli siege of Gaza. CGT/Facebook.
As over 30,000 people marched in Paris calling for peace, Palestinians responded to French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the West Bank with protests and condemnation.
On October 22, a massive rally of around 30,000 people in solidarity with Palestine was held in the French capital, Paris. The mobilization was organized by a coalition of progressive activists calling for an “immediate ceasefire” and an end to the “massacre in Gaza.”
The march was led by the National Collective for a Just and Lasting Peace Between Palestinians and Israelis (CNPJDPI), consisting of members of about 40 progressive movements including trade unions like the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), youth and student groups, anti-imperialist and anti-war advocates, and progressive political parties including La France Insoumise (LFI).
The rally was held under tight state surveillance as the French government continues to be hostile towards pro-Palestine demonstrations. Earlier this month, France’s interior minister ordered a nationwide ban on pro-Palestine demonstrations, courting widespread criticism from vast sections of society. Last week the police also detained several protesters under the ban.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Ramallah in the Occupied West Bank on October 24, was met with protests by Palestinians. Macron, who was meeting both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, was called out for the French government’s continued support for Netanyahu and the crimes against civilians in Gaza.
As of now, the death toll in Gaza inflicted by the continuing bombardment by Israel has reached 6,600. In the West Bank, more than 100 people have been killed in violent repression by the occupation forces during the conflict.
During his visit, Macron extended support to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the fight against Hamas and also called for expanding the coalition against the Islamic State in order to fight Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Earlier, on the eve of Macron’s trip to Israel, Manuel Bompard, a left-wing legislator of the La France Insoumise (LFI), sent an open letter to the prime minister and other delegates calling to restore a strong French voice for peace.
“We urgently ask the President of the Republic to cease his unconditional support for Israeli policy,” the CNPJDPI demanded in its call for protest, which also called for the French government to demand an end to the siege and hostilities. “France should carry the voice of peace.”
“A just and lasting peace will only be possible within the framework of the recognition of the rights of the Palestinian people.”
On October 22, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) demanded an immediate ceasefire, an essential first step to initiate a fair and sustainable peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian region.
Earlier, the Young Communist Movement of France (MJCF) condemned the massacres and attacks on all civilians and called to securing a rapid ceasefire, the end of colonization in Palestine, the end of Israel’s apartheid policy, the release of Palestinian political prisoners, and recognition of Palestinian statehood on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.