France imposing restrictions on expressions of solidarity with Gaza: Amnesty

Limitations recently imposed on public displays of solidarity as well as cancellation or prohibition of events, says rights group

Esra Taskin |24.04.2024 -


PARIS

France has been imposing restrictions on expressions of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, human rights group Amnesty International said Tuesday.

The statement by Amnesty’s local branch said recent weeks have witnessed a series of limitations imposed on public displays of solidarity coupled with the cancellation or prohibition of events, while individuals face accusations of disseminating "terrorist propaganda."

One such instance cited by Amnesty was the banning of a scheduled conference on Palestine organized by the Free Palestine Association in the city of Lille earlier this month.

French authorities justified the ban, citing concerns over "terrorist propaganda," a move condemned by rights advocates as an attempt to stifle legitimate discourse on the Palestinian cause.

Amid these developments, Mathilde Panot, a senior Member of Parliament for France's La France Insoumise (LFI) party known for her vocal support for Palestine, revealed that she had been summoned for questioning on charges of "terrorist propaganda."

Panot, undeterred by the intimidation tactics, reaffirmed her commitment to standing against the genocide faced by the Palestinian people.

Israel has waged a sweeping offensive on the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 which killed around 1,200 people.

At least 34,151 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 77,000 have been injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement as acute shortages of food plunge Gaza into famine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.