France: Pro-Palestine activist held in custody over 'intifada in Paris' speech

A prominent French activist was taken into custody on Tuesday morning for acts described as "incitement to commit crimes" after appearing to calling for an "intifada in Paris" during a pro-Palestine demonstration on 8 September.

During the event held in the French capital, pro-Palestine activist Elias d’Imzalene asked the crowd: "Are we ready to lead the intifada in Paris? In our suburbs? In our neighbourhoods?

"The path to liberation… starts in Paris," he added. "Soon, Jerusalem will be liberated and we will be able to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque."

Imzalene went on to accuse US President Joe Biden and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of complicity in Israel's war on Gaza.

"The genocide has accomplices. They are called Biden, they are called Macron, Macron the election thief, right? We know the thieves, who live in the Elysee and Matignon [the residences of the French president and prime minister].

"We know them. And are we ready to throw them out too?" he asked, in reference to accusations that the French president did not respect the outcome of the snap elections he convened in June by refusing to appoint a prime minister coming from the left-wing parties that won the vote.

Imzalene’s remarks were immediately reported to the prosecutor by then Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

The word “intifada” is an Arabic term meaning uprising, resistance or rebellion. It was used in the Palestinian context to name the first uprising of 1987-1993 and the second one in 2000-2005.

In his referral, Darmanin, who was replaced this week by Bruno Retailleau, accused d'Imzalene of "incitement to arm against the authority of the state or against a part of the population, incitement to intentional attacks on the life and integrity of people, in this case people of Israeli nationality or of Jewish faith, as well as persons in positions of public authority".

The investigation will be carried out by the Brigade for Repression of Crimes Against the Person (BRDP), the prosecution stated.

It focuses on several offences including incitement to hatred or violence against a person or group of persons on the grounds of their origin, nation, race or specific religion; aggravated public incitement to commit intentional attacks on life or physical integrity; public incitement to commit crimes or offences that undermine the fundamental interests of the nation.

🔴 Convoqué ce jour par la Brigade de Répression de la Délinquance à la Personne, Elias d'Imzalène est placé en garde à vue. Le Parquet de Paris a ouvert une enquête suite aux propos tenus lors d'un rassemblement pour Gaza le 8 sept. 2024, notamment l'emploi du mot « intifada ». pic.twitter.com/p58QOlq4V4

— Rafik Chekkat (@r_chekkat) September 24, 2024

Translation: "Summoned today by the Brigade for the Repression of Crimes Against the Person, Elias d'Imzalene is placed in police custody. The Paris Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation following the remarks made during a rally for Gaza on 8 September, 2024, in particular the use of the word 'intifada'."

D’Imzalene has received support from organisations such as The New Anticapitalist Party (NPA) and the Party of the Indigenous of the Republic (PIR).

In a statement published on Monday, the NPA said that the "slogan intifada (...) signifies revolt, but also solidarity, internationalism," and denounced a "criminalisation of the mobilisation for Palestine".

An MP from the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI), Ersilia Soudais, indicated in a video posted on X that she used her visiting rights as a parliamentarian to make a surprise visit to the police station in the 17^th arrondissement of Paris where Imazalene is being held.

"I want to express the fact that I cannot stand double standards, which mean that the word he used, ‘intifada’, has been used by other people, who have not been investigated. But because he is a Muslim, he is immediately suspected of being a terrorist," she said.

"The second thing I want to say is that in my opinion, the supporters of the genocide are the ones who should be in custody right now," Soudais added.

The British NGO Cage International also condemned d’Imzalene’s arrest, describing the case as “the latest example of the French state's ongoing efforts to silence dissenting Muslim voices by any means necessary".  

France's 'apology for terrorism' law used to 'criminalise' Palestine solidarity

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"We are witnessing how condemning the genocide in Gaza and exposing its enablers is becoming criminalised. Statements of solidarity are being deliberately misconstrued to justify politicised prosecutions under the guise of incitement or undermining national security," Cage researcher Rayan Freschi commented.

D’Imzalene, 45, is one of the creators of the Islam et Info website and an active member of the collective Urgence Palestine.

He has been on police watchlists since 2021 under a so-called "S card", which concerns individuals considered to be a serious threat to state security, as well as the Public Safety Attack Prevention File (FPASP), for people "likely to be involved in acts of collective violence, particularly in urban areas or during sporting events".

D’Imzalene's police custody, which began on Tuesday, was extended by 24 hours, the public prosecutor said.

Activists in France have condemned the increased repression of pro-Palestine voices since 7 October, with hundreds of investigations being launched into remarks about the Israel-Palestine conflict under the so-called “apology for terrorism” offence, a charge which involves defending or positively portraying terrorist acts.

Among the most prominent figures accused of advocating terrorism are MP Mathilde Panot and MEP Rima Hassan, both from LFI, as well as prominent French expert on political Islam, Francois Burgat.

Their summons by the police followed complaints made by the European Jewish Association, a French NGO made up of volunteer lawyers, which accused them of legitimising Hamas's actions in their statements.