Above photo: Several thousand protesters wind their way through the streets of Seine-Saint-Denis on Saturday, June 21, during the march toward Le Bourget airport. Simon Feisthauer Fournet.
Demonstrators marched against the arms trade on the final days of the 55th edition of the major aerospace exhibition.
The protests called for a boycott of Israel and an end to the arms trade.
The roar of fighter jets echoed across the Parisian suburbs as demonstrators marched through the streets of Seine-Saint-Denis. On Saturday, June 21, several thousand protesters wound their way from Bobigny toward Le Bourget airport, demanding an end to what they called the “business of death” at one of the world’s largest arms exhibitions.
Marchers carried banners reading “Their wars, their profits, our deaths, stop the genocide in Palestine.” The crowd included Palestinian youth from across Europe alongside French trade unionists, pro-Palestinian activists, and left-wing groups.
The Paris Air Show, known in France as the Salon du Bourget, draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every two years to present the latest in aerospace technology.
This year’s edition has been overshadowed by controversy over Israeli participation. French authorities sealed off Israeli weapons booths earlier in the week, citing restrictions on offensive weapons displays given the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The move prompted criticism from Israeli officials, who threatened legal action.
The demonstration, organized by the Guerre à la guerre (War to War) coalition, brought together more than 145 organizations, including major French trade unions, pro-Palestinian groups, and left-wing political parties.
“We have spent months working to find positions, to converge and make our struggles and our viewpoints converge […] to oppose this show where today there are companies that sell death, there are Israeli companies and delegations that have come to trade in death,” said Kenan, a spokesperson for Urgence Palestine, a pro-Palestinian group currently facing dissolution threats from the French government.
The Paris Air Show, held every two years at Le Bourget airport in the suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis north of Paris, is one of the aerospace industry’s most important gatherings. This year’s event featured 2,500 exhibitors from 48 countries, with organizers expecting 100,000 visitors daily during the public days.
While the show officially focuses on civilian aerospace technology, it has long served as a major venue for military contractors. French arms manufacturers like Thales display their wares alongside international giants such as Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems. France ranks as the world’s second-largest arms exporter, making the show a crucial marketplace for weapons deals.
The presence of Israeli companies became a flashpoint after the French government initially indicated Israeli firms could participate following a temporary ceasefire in Gaza. That ceasefire collapsed in March when Israel resumed bombing Gaza, adding hundreds more casualties to a death toll that has exceeded 55,000, according to Gaza health authorities.
Despite the controversy, at least nine Israeli exhibitors were listed on the show’s official website, including major defense contractors Rafael Advanced Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Elbit Systems. These companies produce guided missiles, drones, and other weapons systems that critics say have been used against Palestinian civilians.
Eric Coquerel, a member of parliament from the left-wing party La France Insoumise representing Seine-Saint-Denis, addressed the crowd with sharp criticism of Israeli actions.
“This is a colonial war and an imperialist war that, under the guise of a religious war, has one objective for Israel: to finish with the Palestinian people as a historical entity […] and that’s why we say that yes, it is indeed a genocide that is currently taking place in Gaza,” he said.
Coquerel called for comprehensive sanctions against Israel, including “a total boycott of Israel” and “the end of all arms trade.” He also demanded that France push for the suspension of European Union agreements with Israel and for a unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood.
The protest featured participants from various backgrounds, including Françoise Vergès, a prominent decolonial feminist scholar who drew connections between French military history and current arms exports.
“Behind the showcase of impressive progress in death technologies, these are men in ties who drink their champagne to celebrate weapons that they send to kill babies, women, children and men, that’s what the Paris Air Show is,” she said. “France is the second arms exporter in the world.”
Vergès linked France’s current arms trade to its colonial past, noting how “the French army […] taught the militias of South American dictatorships the torture practices they had experimented with in Algeria.”
The coalition behind the march included several branches of the CGT, France’s largest trade union confederation, including workers from aerospace giants Airbus and Thales. CGT dockers at the port of Marseille have recently refused to load weapons parts shipments bound for Israel.
French authorities had been monitoring the protest groups, with Paris prosecutors announcing an investigation into potential disruption plans. Seven people were arrested in connection with the investigation.
The demonstration took place against the backdrop of increasing government pressure on pro-Palestinian groups. Urgence Palestine, one of the key organizers, faces dissolution threats from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who has accused the organization of “inciting hatred,” “justifying terrorism,” and “inciting violence.”
The protest also coincided with the ninth day of the conflict between Israel and Iran.
As the Paris Air Show concluded its week-long run, Kenan addressed the mounting pressure facing his organization during Saturday’s protest. “We, at Urgence Palestine, have the threat of dissolution hanging over our heads, and yet we will continue to fight against genocide, against colonization, and against arms companies,” he told the crowd.
