Home Live News Trending Opinion Video Explainers Israel's war on Gaza Sudan crisis News | France French mayor bans Palestine flag and protests after PSG victory incidents Chalon-sur-Saone's Gilles Platret described the flag as ‘catalyst for unrest' aimed at 'fracturing' country in wake of widespread damage Protesters with a Palestinian flag after a demonstration against the holding of the Uefa Nations League match between France and Israel, in Aubervilliers, in the northern outskirts of Paris, on 14 November 2024 (Ian Langsdon/AFP) By Elodie Farge Published date: 3 June 2025 14:03 BST | Last update: 1 day 10 hours ago 288 Shares facebook sharing buttontwitter sharing buttonwhatsapp sharing buttonmessenger sharing buttonemail sharing buttonsharethis sharing button The mayor of Chalon-sur-Saone, in west-central France, has announced that he was banning the Palestinian flag in the city, calling it a "rallying sign" following the urban "riots" that broke out after Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) victory on Saturday night. The Parisian football club's win in the Champions League final against Inter Milan was marred by unrest and violence in various cities across the country, which led to more than 550 arrests - including 490 in Paris. Hundreds of cars were torched in the capital and fireworks set off, while youths clashed with police, reports said. "Events of the most extreme gravity took place last night in our city," Mayor Gilles Platret wrote in a statement on Sunday. "Individuals chose to seize the opportunity to create disorder on a political basis," he said, adding that "one of the riot leaders" was "conspicuously displaying a Palestinian flag as a rallying sign". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Your email "The Palestinian flag has become the symbol of the rioters, the rallying sign of Islamist gangs determined to defy republican institutions," the mayor said. Platret announced a decree banning the Palestinian flag from the town of 45,000 inhabitants as well as its sale in markets starting Monday. The decree also prohibits "all pro-Palestine demonstrations in Chalon". The mayor justified the move "by a need for security", citing video surveillance footage. On Monday evening, Platret reiterated his comments on X: "What if we talked a little about what is hiding behind the Palestinian flag? […] Strategies are established, infiltration is planned, interference is at work. Muslim Brotherhood? Islamic Republic of Iran? Or another hostile state?” “The hypotheses are numerous, even intersecting. But the fact remains: the Palestinian flag has become the catalyst for unrest among the youth of the neighbourhoods with the aim of fracturing the country," he wrote. Platret's decision sparked an outcry from left-wing political groups and NGOs. Aline Mathus-Janet, co-president of the local branch of the Ligue des Droits de l'Homme, denounced the measure as unjust and "totally illegal". Islamist ‘entryism’: French Muslims refuse to be labelled ‘enemies’ within Read More » The only Palestinian flag seller in the city centre also reacted by asking why the Palestinian flag was banned and not the others. "Perhaps only because these people are dark-skinned and that bothers the right-thinking people [...] the pro-Zemmour crowd, convicted multiple times of incitement to hatred [...] history will judge," he said. The vendor was referring to Eric Zemmour, president of the far-right Reconquete! party and former candidate in the 2022 presidential election, who has been convicted of incitement to religious hatred against Muslims and incitement to racial hatred, among other offences. "Selling Palestinian flags had no other purpose than to show my support for a people who has been subjected to genocide, which should be the reflex of every human being worthy of the name," he added. Late on Monday afternoon, around 250 people came to defy the ban on demonstrations in front of the town hall to protest the municipal decree. Some demonstrators flew the Palestinian flag or displayed its colours on their clothing. ‘Grossly illegal’ The Ligue des Droits de l'Homme and various local politicians have indicated they are considering legal action to have the municipal decree overturned. Legal experts have challenged the legality of the order and predicted its rapid suspension by the administrative courts. Nicolas Hervieu, a lawyer specialising in public and European human rights law, denounced the decree as "grossly illegal" and "completely disproportionate". "The question here is to determine whether displaying or selling a flag can be presented as the cause of the unrest," he told TF1info. Netanyahu 'unsettled' by Macron's push to recognise Palestinian statehood Read More » "The answer is clearly no," the lawyer said, adding that flying a flag is protected as a right to freedom of expression. The situation would be different, he explained, if the flag bore symbols prohibited by law, such as those of the Nazi party. In July 2014, the courts suspended, due to its "disproportionate nature", an order by the right-wing mayor of the southern city of Nice, Christian Estrosi, prohibiting the "ostentatious use" of foreign flags during the World Cup. The order implicitly targeted Algerian supporters. Platret, who has been the mayor of Chalon-sur-Saone since 2014, is no stranger to issuing controversial decrees, most of which were overturned by the courts. He notably banned pork-free menus in school canteens, tried to impose the use of French on construction sites and refused to validate a French-Turkish wedding, before being forced to do so by the courts. The mayor, a former vice-president of the right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party who was reportedly tempted to align himself with Zemmour, has repeatedly positioned himself as a defender of the "French people" against the "ethnic cleansing" allegedly practised by "Muslim blocs".
-
-
AntisemitismCanada In 2026, Tulsa And Panama Are Courting Canadian Jews As Antisemitism Redefines The Cost Of Staying As antisemitism reaches unprecedented levels across Canada, Jewish families and professionals are quietly reassessing their futures, and some are being actively courted elsewhere. Ron East By: Ron East December 31, 2025 SHARE A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options A growing number of Canadian Jews are exploring relocation options as antisemitism intensifies and confidence in public protection erodes. (Image: Illustration.) TORONTO — For generations, Canada sold itself as a country where Jews could thrive without constantly looking over their shoulders. That assumption no longer holds for a growing number of Canadian Jews, particularly in the aftermath of October 7 and the months that followed. What has changed is not only the number of antisemitic incidents. It is the atmosphere. Public hostility has been normalized. Jewish schools, synagogues, and community centres operate under permanent security protocols. Anti-Jewish intimidation is increasingly framed as political expression. Enforcement is inconsistent. Accountability is rare. When Jewish life requires constant risk assessment, mobility stops being a luxury. It becomes a rational act of self-preservation. That reality helps explain why, in 2026, two very different destinations, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Panama, are appearing with growing frequency in serious conversations among Canadian Jews who have the means and flexibility to move. This is not a panic migration. It is a strategic recalculation. Canada’s new warning lights Jewish Canadians represent a small fraction of the population, yet account for a vastly disproportionate share of reported hate crimes. This is not a perception problem. It is a documented pattern. More troubling than the statistics themselves is the message many Jews hear in response: concern, sympathy, and context, but little deterrence. Protests that spill into harassment are tolerated. Jewish institutions are targeted repeatedly. Antisemitism disguised as antizionism is parsed endlessly rather than confronted directly. The result is a slow erosion of confidence in the state’s willingness or ability to enforce equal protection. When a community moves from assuming it belongs to hoping nothing happens today, the social contract has already been fractured. It is within this context that Tulsa and Panama are not merely attracting attention but actively courting. Lech Le’Tulsa and intentional Jewish welcome Tulsa is not presenting itself as a refuge city. It is presenting itself as a place that wants Jewish life to grow. In 2026, that effort has taken concrete form through Lech Le’Tulsa, a Jewish-focused relocation initiative designed to attract Jewish families, professionals, and entrepreneurs to the Tulsa area. The program combines relocation assistance with intentional community building and access to Jewish infrastructure. The name is deliberate. Lech Lecha, the biblical call to go forth and build a future, is not branding by accident. It speaks directly to a Jewish historical instinct that understands movement not as retreat, but as agency. Lech Le’Tulsa offers what many Canadian Jews increasingly feel is missing at home: A clear signal that Jewish presence is welcomed, not merely accommodated Immediate access to synagogues, schools, and Jewish communal life A civic environment where Jewish identity is not treated as a liability The financial incentives matter, but the social architecture matters more. Tulsa is offering a landing ramp. It is saying, we are prepared for you to arrive. That clarity stands in stark contrast to the ambiguity Canadian Jews experience when their safety concerns are acknowledged but endlessly deferred. Panama and the appeal of optionality Panama represents a different but equally rational response to insecurity. For Canadian Jews with international mobility, Panama offers residency pathways tied to investment, business activity, or long-term economic contribution. It also offers something increasingly valuable: optionality. Panama has an established Jewish community, a comparatively lower cost of living, and an immigration framework that openly courts skilled and capital-carrying residents. For some, it is a permanent relocation. For others, it is a second base, a contingency plan, or a future passport pathway. What matters is not the destination itself, but the logic behind the choice. When Jews seek second options, they are not rejecting diaspora life. They are applying historical lessons. Jewish continuity has always depended on redundancy, resilience, and the ability to move before crisis becomes catastrophe. The Zionist lens Canadians prefer to ignore Zionism does not deny the legitimacy of diaspora life. It insists that Jews must never be dependent on the goodwill of others for safety or equality. That lesson was written in blood long before the modern State of Israel existed. Israel institutionalized it at a national level. Individual Jews apply it on a personal level. When Canadian Jews explore Tulsa or Panama, they are not abandoning Canada in anger. They are responding rationally to warning signs. They are building leverage. They are ensuring their children have options. This is what Zionist consciousness looks like outside Israel. It is quiet, pragmatic, and unsentimental. An indictment Canada should take seriously Tulsa and Panama are not superior societies. They are intentional ones. Tulsa is saying, we want contributors, and we are prepared to integrate them. Panama is saying, we want residents and investment, and we have clear legal pathways. Canada, too often, is saying something else entirely: we are sorry you feel unsafe, but the politics are complicated. A serious country does not treat antisemitism as a public relations challenge. It treats it as a threat to civic order. That requires enforcement, deterrence, and moral clarity, including the willingness to name antisemitism even when it hides behind fashionable political language. Until that happens, Canada should not be surprised when Jews quietly explore exit ramps. The bottom line In 2026, the fact that Tulsa and Panama can plausibly court Canadian Jews is not an oddity. It is a warning. When antisemitism reaches levels that fundamentally alter how Jews calculate their futures, movement becomes strategy. History teaches Jews to act before apologies arrive too late. Canada still has time to reverse this trajectory. But time matters. And Jews, having learned this lesson repeatedly, are no longer inclined to wait.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
No comments:
Post a Comment