Four people have been detained by French police after protesters set off flares during a concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris on Thursday night.
Clashes broke out in the auditorium during one of three disruptions to the performance by conductor Lahav Shani and pianist Sir Andras Schiff.
The concert, which featured a programme of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, had already been criticised by a French union for the performing arts, and pro-Palestinian activists had called for a boycott.
However, Culture Minister Rachida Dati strongly defended freedom of creativity as a French value and Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that nothing could excuse the serious disturbances in the hall.
Ticket-holders attempted to disrupt the concert three times, including twice with a flare, according to the Philharmonie de Paris. At one point, the concert hall was filled with smoke. Video footage showed a man with a flare being confronted by other audience members before clashes broke out.
The venue reported that the troublemakers had been removed and the concert, which was briefly interrupted, resumed peacefully. The area is now pursuing legal action against the incident.
The disruption led to swift condemnation from government officials on Friday. Laurent Nuñez praised police for their quick response.
Notably, Manon Aubry, a European Parliament member associated with the radical left France Unbowed, declined to condemn the disruptions, arguing that the orchestra's artists represent the Israeli state, which she accused of committing war crimes.
Ahead of the concert, pro-Palestinian activists had urged for its cancellation. Although the CGT-Spectacle union stopped short of calling for a full boycott, it urged the Philharmonie de Paris to remind its audience of the serious accusations against Israel's leaders, viewing the concert as an attempt at normalization by the State of Israel.
Rachida Dati reiterated that nothing justifies a cultural boycott and condemned any form of antisemitism.
The Israel Philharmonic's conductor, Lahav Shani, had previously faced controversy when organizers of a festival in Ghent, Belgium, cancelled his performance due to concerns about his stance toward the Israeli government. This decision drew criticism from both the Belgian and German governments.
In condemning the Thursday night unrest, the Philharmonie de Paris emphasized that threatening the safety of the public, staff, and artists is unacceptable, stating that bringing violence into a concert hall is an extremely serious matter.
