Pro-Hamas protesters gather in Paris in defiance of a police ban on their demonstration. Photo: Reuters/Michel Stoupak

More than 3,000 pro-Hamas demonstrators defied a police ban on their march through Paris on Saturday, resulting in 21 arrests and nearly 1,500 fines for hate speech.

The ban was announced three days ago by Laurent Nuñez, the Paris Police Prefect, who explained that his decision was based on the pro-Hamas positions of the demonstration’s organizers.

“These are organizations which, through the comments they made, suggest that they are in support of Hamas,” Nuñez earlier told broadcaster Franceinfo. “So I will ban this demonstration.”

Attempts by the protest organizers to overturn the ban failed when a Paris district court upheld Nuñez’s decision.

“The planned gathering may present a particular serious risk of violence against other groups or the police and damage to property,” the court’s ruling stated, pointing out as well that the march would have proceeded through the Marais and Sentier districts of the French capital, which are home to large Jewish communities. The ruling also linked “heightened tensions linked to the events in the Gaza Strip with a rise in antisemitic acts in France.”

Nonetheless, between 3,000-4,000 protesters defied the ban by holding a rally at the Place du Châtelet — a fraction of the crowd of 30,000 that turned out for a pro-Hamas rally last Sunday. A police report issued on Saturday night noted 21 arrests and 1,487 fines at the event.

An earlier attempt by French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin to ban all “pro-Palestinian demonstrations” on the grounds that “they are likely to generate public order disturbances” was rejected on Oct. 18 by the French Council of State, which determined that protests could only be prevented by police prefects acting on a “case-by-case” basis.

Saturday’s rally was organized by Urgence Palestine (“Palestine Emergency”), a coalition of 14 pro-Hamas groups. Several demonstrators complained that the right to protest in support of the Palestinians was being curbed.

“It seems that supporting the Palestinian people is a criminal opinion,” a demonstrator who gave her name as Laura told the Le Parisien news outlet. “We are made to believe that it is antisemitism or an apology for terrorism to criticize Israel when in fact it is humanity.”

French comedian Samia Orosemane said she had attended the demonstration dressed in the colors of the French flag “since we are normally in the country of human rights. We should be able to express our dissatisfaction.”

She added: “We are witnessing a massacre of an entire population and no one says anything. I cannot remain silent.”

As well as Paris, other French cities witnessed marches and rallies in support of Hamas, including Strasbourg, Montpellier, Nice, and Lyon.

Antisemitism has surged in France since the pogrom unleashed by Hamas terrorists in southern Israel on Oct. 7, with nearly 600 incidents reported and approaching 400 arrests made.