French police have arrested four pro-Palestine protesters who disrupted a concert by Israel's national orchestra at the Paris Philharmonic music hall.
Several spectators repeatedly interrupted Thursday evening's concert given by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, including twice setting off smoke, the venue said.
Three women and one man were taken into custody over the incident, a French prosecutor said on Friday. Three were arrested on suspicion of taking part in a group with the intent to commit violence or damage, and one for organising an unauthorised demonstration.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he strongly condemned the actions during the concert. "Nothing can justify them," he said on X.
The Paris Philharmonic said it had filed a complaint over the disruption, adding it "deplores and strongly condemns the serious incidents that occurred".
Videos posted online show a person waving a red smoke flare from the stands and people intervening after one of the protesters is hit by members of the audience.
“On three occasions, audience members with valid tickets tried in various ways to interrupt the concert, twice using smoke flares,” the Philharmonie said, adding that security measures had been strengthened for the event.
Security eventually expelled the protestors, and the orchestra, led by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani, "resumed and ended peacefully,” it added.
The Israeli anthem was played at the end.
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Freedom of creation
Ahead of the event, several pro-Palestine groups had called for a boycott of the concert by Israel's leading orchestra over the country's conduct during its military offensive in Gaza.
Last week, the entertainment branch of the left-wing CGT union called on the orchestra to "remind its audience of the extremely serious accusations levelled against [Israel's] leaders" and saw the concert as "an attempt at normalisation by the state of Israel".
Culture Minister Rachida Dati firmly condemned the disturbances and calls by pro-Palestinian groups to boycott the concert. “Nothing justifies a call to boycott this moment of culture, sharing and communion. Freedom of creation and programming is a fundamental right of our republic. There is no excuse for antisemitism!” she said on X.
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Israel has come under intense international criticism for its two-year military offensive in Gaza, triggered by the 7 October 2023 terror attacks by Hamas militants, which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis.
More than 68,500 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to figures the UN considers credible.
UN investigators have accused Israel of committing genocide and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the target of an International Court of Justice arrest warrant to answer charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
