Religious Tension In France As Protest Turns Violent

oge okonkwo

July 22, 2014 5:53 PM

Rioters were protesting against Israel's Gaza offensive and went on a rampage in a Paris suburb

Pro-Palestinian demonstrations turned violent on Sunday night in France causing serious religious tensions.

A suburb of Paris in Sarcelles known as 'Little Jerusalem' in was attacked by masked youths as synagogues, a Jewish-owned chemist and a grocery store were affected.

Following similar attacks the previous weekend, President Francois Hollande had banned the march, but about 400 people gathered in spite of the ban.

Cars were smashed by rioters as theythrew petrol bombs at the police, who responded by using tear gas to disperse the protest.

According to the prime minister of France, Manuel Valls, the attack in Sarcelles is intolerable, "An attack on a synagogue and on a kosher shop is simply anti-Semitism. Nothing in France can justify this violence."

According to a witness, a similar attack was recorded in 1938, were rioters were shouting 'Death to Jews,' and 'Slit Jews' throats'.

oge okonkwo