The concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was disrupted three times on Thursday, November 6, while it was performing in the evening at the Philharmonie de Paris in the 19th arrondissement.
A complaint has been filed
Smoke bombs were thrown by protesters attempting to disrupt the event. A crowd also gathered in the stands where clashes broke out between spectators, according to images shared on social media.
Following the events of that evening, the management of the Philharmonie de Paris stated that it “strongly condemns the serious incidents” that occurred within its concert hall and deplores the endangerment of the public, staff, and artists. The institution announced it would be filing a complaint.
The Philharmonie stated that “on three occasions, ticket holders attempted to disrupt the concert in various ways, including twice using smoke bombs. Other spectators intervened, and clashes ensued.” “The troublemakers were removed, and the concert, which had been interrupted, resumed and concluded peacefully,” the Philharmonie continued.
“Violence is not up for debate.”
Since the announcement of the arrival of the Israeli orchestra a month ago, the management of the Philharmonie de Paris has been the subject of strong criticism due to the still very tense situation in the Gaza Strip , despite the ceasefire agreement which came into effect on October 10.
Following the disturbances that erupted Thursday evening, the president of the CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France), Yonathan Arfi, reacted on X and called for “exemplary sanctions” to be imposed. “The increasing disruptions are unacceptable. This will never prevent artists targeted by hatred from receiving a standing ovation from the public,” he wrote.
For the Cité de la Musique, “nothing can justify” the events that occurred Thursday evening. “The Philharmonie has demonstrated that it is listening by responding to the various inquiries received in recent days regarding this concert. But violence is not up for debate. And bringing it into a concert hall is very serious,” it stated in a press release.
An event that was heavily criticized
In an open letter published on October 15 on the online blog “Le Club de Mediapart” , several artists and spectators expressed their “great concern” about the concert taking place, requesting its cancellation.
The group had notably recalled the words of the secretary general of the Tel Aviv-based orchestra, Yair Mashiach, who last May designated the ensemble as “the national orchestra of the State of Israel and its cultural ambassador in the world”.
Two weeks later, the CGT Spectacle union urged the concert hall to remind the audience of the current geopolitical context and the “accusations” leveled against Israeli representatives. “The Philharmonie de Paris cannot host the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra without reminding its audience of the extremely serious accusations against the leaders of that country, nor the nature of the crimes committed in Gaza,” the union wrote on October 29.
Despite the criticism, the Philharmonie de Paris has decided to maintain the event, asserting that “artists cannot be held responsible for their governments by mere association”.
For her part, Culture Minister Rachida Dati also weighed in on this heated debate. “Is it the role of the CGT entertainment union to censor artists? No. Welcome to this orchestra at the Philharmonie; it will be a great moment of communion and sharing through music. They say that music soothes the soul, and this expression takes on its full meaning,” the minister declared on Sud Radio.
