Footage of French riot police using water cannons to disperse a crowd of pro-Palestine protesters circulated online on Thursday.
The video shows a parked white truck spraying a massive stream of water onto the protestors, who had descended on Paris to hold a demonstration in favor of the Hamas militants who attacked Israel on Saturday. Footage showed crowd control officers brandishing batons and moving into the interior of the square to break up the event. (RELATED: Dem Congressional Staffer Shared Messages Justifying Hamas Terrorist Attack On Israel)
The crowds filled Republic Square in the French capital, chanting slogans like “Free Palestine,” “End the Siege of Gaza,” “Israel murderer,” and “Macron accomplice,” according to the Daily Mail. Many in the crowd of 2,000 carried Palestinian flags and signs signaling their support for the Palestinian cause. After 8 p.m., the French authorities unleashed the water cannons on the protestors and deployed tear gas.
BREAKING:
French riot police start using water cannons against crowds of Hamas supporters rioting on the streets of Paris tonight.
Video from @CLPRESSFR & @ClementLanot who have been doing a great job with covering French protests for years now. pic.twitter.com/0uqd46VFIH
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) October 12, 2023
French police have banned public demonstrations of the Palestinian cause since 2014, per the outlet. French authorities reminded citizens earlier Thursday that pro-Palestine protests were prohibited.
“Our orders are to prevent the protest continuing,” a French policeman said, according to Daily Mail. “People are asked to leave the area.”
Charlotte Vautier, a participant in the protest, argued that French citizens should be allowed to protest in favor of a cause they believe in.
“We live in a country of civil law, a country where we have the right to take a stand and to demonstrate,” she said, the outlet reported. “(It is unfair) to forbid for one side and to authorise for the other and that does not reflect the reality of Palestine.”
Hamas attacked Israel on Saturday, killing over 1200 people. Hamas, operating out of Gaza, sent thousands of missiles into Israel. Around 150 Israelis have been taken as hostage into Gaza.