An evening concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the Philharmonie de Paris descended into chaos on Thursday night when anti-Israel protesters disrupted the performance, igniting a flare inside the packed hall and filling it with smoke and flames, reports YNETNEWS.
The disturbance occurred amid a wave of anti-Israel and antisemitic demonstrations sweeping across France. Prior to the concert, the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT), a prominent French trade union, had demanded that the venue’s organisers publicly address accusations against Israel — a call many viewed as an attempt to politicise a cultural event.
Midway through the first half of the programme, several protesters stood up shouting anti-Israel slogans. One demonstrator lit a red flare, which set nearby seats alight, forcing firefighters to intervene. Despite the smoke and confusion, the orchestra — led by world-renowned conductor and pianist Sir András Schiff — refused to stop playing and continued performing Beethoven’s Fifth Concerto.
Security personnel and police quickly secured the hall, forming a protective line as the musicians defiantly continued to play. Schiff concluded the disrupted first half with a Chopin waltz, receiving a standing ovation from the audience for the orchestra’s composure and courage.
Ronen Segev, a pianist and managing partner at Park Avenue Pianos, who attended the concert, captured footage of the fiery disruption, which later circulated widely on social media.
The attack is the latest in a series of anti-Israel incidents targeting Jewish and Israeli cultural events in Europe since the Hamas-led October 7 massacre. Observers have condemned the Paris protest as a dangerous escalation of antisemitic hostility, warning that artistic and cultural spaces are increasingly being weaponised to intimidate Jewish performers and audiences.
Photo credit: Screenshot
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