- Title: FRANCE: ANTI SEMITISM / ANTI RACISM PROTEST HELD IN PARIS
- Date: 16th May 2004
- Summary: (W3) PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 16, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. WIDE OF START OF ANTI SEMITISM PROTEST WITH CROWD HOLDING BANNER READING 'AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM' 0.04 2. CLOSE OF MAYOR OF PARIS BERTRAND DELANOE AMONG PROTESTERS 0.07 3. VARIOUS OF PROTESTORS 0.12 3. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) WRITER MAREK HALTER SAYING: "I am happy that there are tens of thousands of people who have come out to protest against anti-semitism in this country. It is a start to becoming aware. I hope that the next time we will be millions. France is not an anti-Semitic country and its not a racist country. It is a country that is asleep, it is apathetic. It needs to wake up. I cried out and others have joined me, and we are tens of thousands which is all the better." 0.48 4. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS IN STREET WITH BANNERS READING 'BLACKS, WHITES, AGAINST ANTI SEMITISM' 0.54 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (French) SOCIALIST DEPUTY FODE SYLLA SAYING "Today I am here against anti-Semitism and I say that it is pyromania to try to oppose the two (racism and anti-Semitism). I hope that very soon we will find ourselves, not just the organisations but the whole of society, united against all forms of racism." 1.08 6. CLOSE OF PROTESTERS HOLDING HANDS WITH WHITE RIBBONS ON THEIR ARMS 1.12 7. VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS MARCHING 1.17 8. WIDE/ PAN FROM BALLOON TO BANNER READING 'STOP ANTI-SEMITISM' 1.21 9. PAN OF PROTESTORS 1.26 10. WIDE OF ANTI SEMITISM BANNER 1.31 11. PAN OF STUDENT PROTESTERS CHANTING "We are all children of the Republic. First, second; third generation." 1.42 12. CLOSE OF FEET OF PROTESTERS MARCHING 1.50 13. PAN OF PROTESTERS CHANTING "The Republic is making some noise." 1.59 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 31st May 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVABE2H88IYUT96MCWSR6D2QDVY4
- Story Text: Thousands of people marched in Paris today to
protest against antisemitism and against racism in general.
Thousands of people marched in Paris on Sunday (May
16, 2004), called on by SOS Racism to protest against
anti-Semitism and by other organisations to mobilise
against racism in general.
The protest left from Republic Square in Paris with a
number of politicians and personalities taking part. Among
them was the French Minister for Health Philippe
Doutse-Blazy, the socialist mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoe
and writer Marek Halter.
Halter, who made a public call for the protest last
Sunday (May 9) on France 3 television, expressed his
contentment with the high turnout at the protest. "I am
happy that there are tens of thousands of people who have
come out to protest against anti-Semitism in this country.
It is a start to becoming aware. I hope that the next time
we will be millions. France is not an anti-Semitic country
and its not a racist country. It is a country that is
asleep, it is apathetic. It needs to wake up. I cried out
and others have joined me, and we are tens of thousands
which is all the better."
SOS Racism who launched the march made an official call
for the protest last Monday (May 10). The Council for
Jewish institutions of France (Crif) gave their support as
did the president of the Mosque of Paris, Dali Boubakeur,
the International league against racism and anti-Semitism
and the students union of Jews in France.
The Movement against Racism (Mrap) and the League for
the rights of men (LDH) who both wanted the protest to be
extended to racism in general, formed the end of the
cortege. Speaking at the protest, Socialist Deputy Fode Sylla
gave his reasons for keeping the two causes separate.
"Today I am here against anti-Semitism and I say that it is
pyromania to try to oppose the two (racism and
anti-semitism). I hope that very soon we will find
ourselves, not just the organisations but the whole of
society, united against all forms of racism."
In the international context of violence in Iraq and
the Israeli-Palestine conflict, the number of anti-Semitic
acts rose in France in the first trimester of 2004.
According to figures from the Interior Ministry, 67 acts of
violence against people were recorded for the period
between January to the end of March. For the same period
last year the figures stood at 42 acts.
The anti-Semitism debate has also infiltrated the
National Assembly with Nicolas Sarkozy accusing the
government of Lionel Jospin not taking decisions to combat
against the growing rise in antisemitism quickly enough.
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