Thousands rally against anti-Semitism

PARIS - Dozens of government officials and politicians on Tuesday joined thousands of French people massed in the Republic Square in Paris to say stop to anti-Semitic acts and violence.

"Anti-Semitism, That's enough," read out in many banners waved in the rally which drew 20,000 participants, according to figures released by the Socialist Party, which launched the initiative.

The crowd was led by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, scores of his ministers, 14 political parties, former presidents Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy.

In the Place de la Republique, a symbol of the nation, the crowd chanted the national anthem to show national unity in face of a resurgence of anti-Semistism and rising anti-Jewish offenses.

Similar rallies were reported across France, including the eastern city of Strasbourg where 96 graves were desecrated in the village of Quatzenheim earlier on Tuesday, the most recent anti-Semitic act.

"To gather is not enough but it is necessary. There will probably be legislative work to take the necessary action and severely punish anyone who blames us for what we are," Philippe told local media in Paris rally.

Earlier on Tuesday, the prime minister said that the government has been considering legislation to fight against hate speech and anti-Semitism on social media.

Website hosts should withdraw the offensive contents and create an atmosphere that respects the French law, he said. "I know there are some obstacles, and my objective is not to constrain the freedom of expression."

During a visit to the desecrated Jewish tombs, President Emmanuel Macron said: "Whoever did this is not worthy of the French Republic and will be punished."

Accompanied by the heads of the Senate and the National Assembly, he later visited the national Holocaust memorial in Paris.

"We want to show to ... draw attention to the dangers that lie ahead. Our national community needs everyone and anti-Semitism has no place in our Republic," said Richard Ferrand, the National Assembly's president.

Statistics by the French Interior Ministry showed that anti-Semitic acts increased by 74 percent year-on-year to 541 acts in 2018.

France is home to more than 460,000 Jewish people, the biggest community in Europe. In recent years there have been a number of high-profile attacks targeting the Jewish community, most notably the killing of four Jews in south France in March 2012 by a self-styled extremist.

Xinhua

(China Daily 02/21/2019 page12)