Organizers of Pro-Palestine Demos Remain Defiant Despite French Court’s Ban

By Staff, Agencies

A French court on Friday upheld a police ban on a pro-Palestinian demonstration planned for Saturday in Paris, but the organizers said they were not canceling the march.

Police on Thursday banned Saturday's demonstration called over the ongoing ‘Israeli’ war against Palestine, fearing a repeat of clashes during a similar protest in 2014.

Following Friday's court ruling, the lawyers said they will appeal to France's top administrative court, the Conseil d'Etat.

However, the protest organizers said they had no plans to call off Saturday's action.

"We refuse to silence our solidarity with the Palestinians, and we will not be prevented from demonstrating," the Association of Palestinians in the Ile-de-France capital region and other groups said shortly after the court ban was announced.

Several demonstrations took place in France during July 2014 to denounce an ‘Israeli’ aggression on the Gaza Strip.

On July 19, 2014, several thousand protesters defied a ban on a demonstration at Barbes and the rally rapidly degenerated into violent clashes that lasted for hours.