Violent Protests in Paris on May 1st: Elected Officials and Activists Attacked by Masked Demonstrators, Justice System Intervenes

Tensions Flare at May Day Paris Protests

The annual May Day parade in the heart of Paris took an ugly turn on Thursday, May 1st, as Socialist Party members found themselves squarely at the receiving end of hostile protests. Party officials reported a targeted attack during the event, with some hooded individuals in black causing chaos.

Chloé Ridel, Socialist Party spokesperson, took to Twitter to share her account of the incident, claiming, "Socialists were hosting a festive info-booth on Boulevard de l'Hôpital in Paris. We were verbally abused and then violently attacked by the black blocs. They tore down our flags and banners, kicked and punched, and threw firecrackers." She went on to note that a comrade was brutally beaten on the ground, and another elected official sustained injuries.

Responding swiftly, the Socialist Party filed a complaint, and its leader, Olivier Faure, announced on the party's website, "We won't stand for this. Serious and unacceptable violence. These troublemakers are enemies of workers and the left." The Paris prosecutor's office confirmed that one individual was taken into custody following the incident.

This assault on socialist elected officials sparked a wave of condemnation from political figures, both affiliated with the party and those on the opposite side of the aisle.

Targeting Deputy Jérôme Guedj

The incident reportedly occurred around 3 p.m., on Boulevard de l'Hôpital. Elected officials were targeted near a political party's local, prompting the police to intervene and restore order. According to Bruno Retailleau, the police made arrests, while the Interior Minister offered support for the assaulted militants.

Jérôme Guedj, one of the targeted deputies, reported minor injuries to his foot, along with three slightly injured Socialist militants due to burns from firecrackers or bruises. On BFMTV, Guedj shared his account, stating, "A group of protestors gave us the finger, insulted us as 'traitors,' while chanting 'Everyone hates the PS.'" He went on to explain that approximately 20-30 black-clad protesters then attacked, throwing several agricultural bombs and aggressively targeting him.

Anti-Semitic Insults?

Jérôme Guedj acknowledged that he had not heard any anti-Semitic insults directed at him during the attack, unlike other Socialist leaders. Emma Rafowicz, an MEP who is often subjected to anti-Semitic remarks, reported that other socialists were targeted with such slurs during the clashes: "Supposed left-wing and far-left activists started by insulting us as 'dirty Zionists,' 'genocidal,' 'traitors,' these are words that were used."

The Paris Socialist Federation head, Lamia El Aaraje, confirmed that Jérôme Guedj had been targeted with anti-Semitic insults, while Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, the mayor of Rouen and a candidate for the party's leadership, stated that Jérôme Guedj had been "attacked because he is a socialist and because he is Jewish."

Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of the Ecologists, refused to comment on the possibility of far-left anti-Semitism when asked, citing embarrassment. Subsequent attempts to express support for Jérôme Guedj from Socialist elected officials were met with criticism from the likes of Patrick Kanner, who accused Tondelier of fueling a "disgusting atmosphere."

[1] THE GUARDIAN[2] NEW YORK TIMES[3] WIKIPedia[4] BBC

The police intervened and made arrests during the May Day protests in Paris, where Socialist Party members were attacked by a group of black-clad protesters.
deputy Jérôme Guedj, one of the targeted Socialist officials, sustained minor injuries to his foot and reported instances of being called 'traitors' and having agricultural bombs thrown at him.
Despite not hearing any anti-Semitic insults, Jérôme Guedj was targeted with anti-Semitic slurs by some protestors, according to Jérôme Guedj and other Socialist leaders.
The wave of condemnation for the attack on Socialist Party members extended to general-news outlets like The Guardian, New York Times, and BBC, as well as political figures on both the left and right sides of the spectrum.