A Paris bookstore was raided in early January as part of an investigation into a children’s coloring book accused of challenging the existence of Israel. The feminist and lesbian bookstore Violette and Co, located in the 11th arrondissement, denounced the operation as “illegal and disproportionate,” while the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the opening of an investigation.
On January 7, “five uniformed police officers, accompanied by a public prosecutor,” entered the bookstore to search for a publication titled From the River to the Sea. The phrase, first used in the 1960s by the Palestine Liberation Organization and later adopted by Hamas, is often interpreted as a call for the elimination of the State of Israel. According to the bookstore’s statement, the search lasted 45 minutes and involved a thorough inspection of shelves, storage areas, and private spaces, with officers using body cameras to film the premises. No books were seized, as the copies had already been sold. However, the store manager has been summoned for questioning on January 22 in a preliminary investigation for “importing a youth publication containing dangerous content.”
