On Thursday night, a concert featuring the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris was significantly disrupted by protesters. The event, held at the Paris Philharmonic concert hall, saw activists throwing flares into the audience, which resulted in temporary panic among concert-goers and prompted the musicians to leave the stage. In the aftermath of the disruption, authorities reported that four individuals were detained.

Demonstrations by pro-Palestinian activists took place outside the venue, reflecting the heightened tensions over the ongoing war in Gaza that have often manifested in protests across France. Jonathan Arfi, the president of France's national Jewish organization CRIF, recounted that the initial disturbance began when a protester shouted the phrase "Israel Assassin," followed by the ignition of red flares on two separate occasions.

Despite the disruptions, the musicians returned to the stage to complete their performance. Arfi condemned the actions of the protesters, characterizing them as dangerous and expressing concern that such actions represent a form of "kidnapping culture and arts" to convey violent messages within French society. He emphasized the need for a respectful engagement with the arts, free from political violence.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez also addressed the situation, asserting that there is no justification for the protests that caused such disruptions. In a statement posted on X, Nunez confirmed the detention of four people and denounced the actions taken by the protesters as unacceptable. The events of that evening underscore the ongoing and often volatile intersection between cultural events and political activism as tensions surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict continue to impact communities in France.