French police have detained four individuals in connection with Thursday night’s incident in which pro-Palestinian Arab protesters disrupted a performance by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris, setting off flares and causing clashes in the auditorium, reports the BBC.
The concert, held at the Pierre Boulez auditorium and featuring conductor Lahav Shani and pianist Sir Andras Schiff, was interrupted three times. The Philharmonie de Paris confirmed that two of the disruptions involved flares, with smoke filling the hall at one point.
Video footage from the scene showed a man walking down the steps of the seating area while brandishing a flare. He was confronted by audience members, and physical altercations ensued.
“The troublemakers were removed and the concert, which had to be interrupted, resumed and came to a peaceful conclusion,” the venue stated, adding that legal action would be pursued.
The concert had faced criticism in advance from the CGT-Spectacle union, which represents performing arts workers. While the union did not call for cancellation, it urged the Philharmonie to “remind its audience of the extremely serious accusations levelled against [Israel’s] leaders,” describing the event as “an attempt at normalization by the State of Israel.”
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati defended the concert, stating that “nothing justified a call for a cultural boycott” and that there was “no excuse for antisemitism.” Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez condemned the disruptions, saying “nothing could excuse the serious disturbances in the hall,” and praised police for their swift response.
The Philharmonie de Paris emphasized that “regardless of people’s opinions, it is utterly unacceptable to threaten the safety of the public, staff and artists... bringing [violence] into a concert hall is extremely serious.”
Lahav Shani, 36, was previously at the center of controversy in September when the Flanders Festival in Ghent canceled his performance with the Munich Philharmonic, citing “insufficient clarity” on his stance toward the Israeli government.
The move was criticized by both Belgian and German officials, and Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever later attended a Munich Philharmonic concert conducted by Shani in Essen.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)