Protesters disrupted an Israeli Philharmonic concert in Paris. 4 people are detained

PARIS (AP) — Protesters repeatedly disrupted a concert by the Israel Philharmonic orchestra in Paris, throwing flares that caused brief panic in the crowd and led musicians to leave the stage. Authorities said four people were detained.

Pro-Palestinian activists also demonstrated outside Thursday night’s performance at the Paris Philharmonic concert hall. Tensions over the war in Gaza have often spilled over into protests in France.

First, a protester shouted ″Israel Assassin″ and then red flares were set off twice, Jonathan Arfi, president of France’s national Jewish organization CRIF, told The Associated Press. The musicians eventually returned to the stage to finish the concert.

″I condemn this action, it was dangerous, it is a way to kidnap culture and arts in order to use it to send violent messages inside French society,″ Arfi said.

Four people were detained, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said in a post on X.

Nunez denounced the disruptions, saying ″nothing can justify them.″