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POLITICS

Tight security in Paris ahead of march against anti-Semitism

A major security operation will be in place in Paris over the weekend along the route of a planned demonstration against anti-Semitism - which has already sparked a deep political divide.

Tight security in Paris ahead of march against anti-Semitism
A French riot police officer (CRS) outside the Paris Synagogue. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

Thousands of people are expected in the capital for the march, called by Senate president Gérard Larcher and Yaël Braun-Pivet, head of France’s National Assembly, following the rise in anti-Semitic incidents in France in the days and weeks after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.

They called for a, “general mobilisation” against the, “banalisation of hate” to declare, “before the world that the French Republic will never allow ignominy to prosper”.

The Association des maires de France has also called for rallies in front of préfectures across France at 3pm on Sunday to coincide with the start of the march in Paris.

There have been 1,000 anti-Semitic acts in France since the slaughter by Hamas of 1,400 Israeli civilians on October 7th and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, twice as many as in the whole of last year.

Several dozen police units will be mobilised to protect marchers and maintain order, with officials concerned about a ‘lone wolf’ attack from someone who has so far avoided the attention of police or security officials.

READ ALSO OPINION: A march against anti-Semitism is vital for France, but will also reveal hypocrisy

More than 20 government ministers have said they will take part in the march, as will former heads of state François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy. It is, however, not yet known whether President Emmanuel Macron will join the parade.

“It’s obviously going to be a massive operation,” a police union official told BFM TV.

Security “bubbles” will be set up in areas where politicians will circulate, while the march and the route will be monitored closely, with police and security forces in attendance.

The march is due to get under way at 3pm on Sunday, at the Esplanade des Invalides, taking a route leading to the National Assembly and the Senate.

The march has sparked a bitter political divide after Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National announced that it would take part, leading to the far-left La France Insoumise withdrawing. 

Yonathan Arfi, president of the national council of Jewish groups in France, accused Le Pen and her party of exploiting the event, saying: “We do not want people who are heirs to a party founded by former collaborators to be present

“By announcing that it would participate in this demonstration, RN knew that it would create controversy, that it would divert the demonstration from its main object which is the fight against anti-Semitism.”

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POLITICS

8 things you never knew about Andorra

The tiny statelet nestled in the Pyrenees mountains that mark the border between France and Spain hit the headlines with its new language requirement for residency permits – but what else is there to know about Andorra?

8 things you never knew about Andorra

This week, Andorra passed a law setting a minimum Catalan language requirement for foreign residents

It’s not often the tiny, independent principality in the mountains makes the news – other than, perhaps, when its national football team loses (again) to a rather larger rival in international qualifying competitions.

The national side are due to play Spain in early June, as part of the larger nation’s warm-up for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. Here, then, in case you’re watching that match, at Estadio Nuevo Vivero, are a few facts about Andorra that you can astound your fellow football fans with…

Size matters

Small though it is – it has an area of just 468 square kilometres, a little more than half the size of the greater Paris area – there are five smaller states in Europe, 15 smaller countries in the world by area, and 10 smaller by population.

People

Its population in 2023 was 81,588. That’s fewer people than the city of Pau, in southwest France (which is itself the 65th largest town in France, by population).

High-living

The principality’s capital, Andorra la Vella (population c20,000 – about the same population as Dax) is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres above sea level. 

Spoken words

The official language – and the one you’ll need for a residency permit – is Catalan. But visitors will find Spanish, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken, and a fair few people will speak some English, too.

Sport

We’ve already mentioned the football. But Andorra’s main claim to sporting fame is as a renowned winter sports venue. With about 350km of ski runs, across 3,100 hectares of mountainous terrain, it boasts the largest ski area in the Pyrenees.

Economic model

Tourism, the mainstay of the economy, accounts for roughly 80 percent of Andorra’s GDP. More than 10 million tourists visit every year.

It also has no sales tax on most items – which is why you’ll often find a queue at the French border as locals pop into the principality to buy things like alcohol, cigarettes and (bizarrely) washing powder, which are significantly cheaper.

Head of state

Andorra has two heads of state, because history. It’s believed the principality was created by Charlemagne (c748 – 814CE), and was ruled by the count of Urgell up to 988CE, when it was handed over to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The principality, as we know it today, was formed by a treaty between the bishop of Urgell and the count of Foix in 1278.

Today, the state is jointly ruled by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain and … the president of France, who (despite the French aversion to monarchy and nobility) has the title Prince of Andorra, following the transfer of the count of Foix’s claims to the Crown of France and, subsequently, to the head of state of the French Republic. 

Military, of sorts

Andorra does have a small, mostly ceremonial army. But all able-bodied Andorran men aged between 21 and 60 are obliged to respond to emergency situations, including natural disasters.

Legally, a rifle should be kept and maintained in every Andorran household – though the same law also states that the police will supply a firearm if one is required.

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