French left demonstrates in support of Gaza-bound aid boat

Protestors in Toulouse hold signs reading "On the water float our refusals against your walls, we bow no more" (L) and "We arrest those who denounce, not those who bomb" (C). AFP - MATTHIEU RONDEL

Tens of thousands of people rallied across France on Monday in support of activists on a boat bound for Gaza that has been intercepted by Israeli authorities. President Emmanuel Macron has called for the “swiftest possible” return of the six French nationals aboard.

Demonstrators waving Palestinian flags, holding banners, and chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Gaza, Gaza, we are with you”, gathered in major French cities including Paris, Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Toulouse, Strasbourg and Nice, demanding the release of the 12 activists aboard the sailing vessel Madleen and the continuation of their humanitarian mission.