٠٠:٠٤:١٠Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Place de la République in Paris on Sunday to express solidarity with Lebanon amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The protest featured display of Lebanese flags, creating a sea of red and green in the square. Disturbingly, bloodied dolls were laid on the ground, symbolising the human cost of the ongoing conflict, as participants held a sign stating, “Your children are the martyrs of our silence.”
Hussein Mourtada, a co-organiser of the demonstration, addressed the crowd, emphasising the severity of the situation. He stated, “Our country is being destroyed. It's not a war; it's a kind of erasure, an uprooting of this country that has several layers of civilisation. Houses are being attacked, clinics are being attacked, civilians are being attacked. We have all come together to say that this regime's murderous madness must be stopped, that this attack must be stopped by any means necessary.”
Mourtada framed the protest as a direct message to French President Emmanuel Macron and the European Union, highlighting Israel's status as a significant trade partner. He insisted, “Soft words are fine, but when the bombs are raining down on us, we have to act. We have to bring pressure to bear, whether by political or economic means.”
The protest followed the assassination of long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Friday, an event that significantly escalated tensions in the region.
One protester reflected on Nasrallah's legacy, stating, “He is a man who was appreciated by his friends and respected by his enemies. Many Lebanese feel saddened because he was a historic figure in the Lebanese resistance. There are many Lebanese personalities and ordinary people who did not approve of his policies, but they can only be saddened by his death and the way in which he died.”
On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in addition to the exchange of rocket fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, sparking fear across the Middle East of a looming regional conflict on multiple fronts.
On Monday, the IDF announced the start of a campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah positions dubbed 'Operation Northern Arrows'. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that these attacks have resulted in more than 1,030 deaths and left 6,300 people injured.
Tensions between the sides escalated in mid-September after a series of explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah left dozens dead and thousands injured. Hezbollah responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah, Lebanese, and Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling with the Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
'Murderous madness must be stopped' - Protesters rally in Paris to support Lebanon amid escalating conflict with Israel
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Place de la République in Paris on Sunday to express solidarity with Lebanon amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The protest featured display of Lebanese flags, creating a sea of red and green in the square. Disturbingly, bloodied dolls were laid on the ground, symbolising the human cost of the ongoing conflict, as participants held a sign stating, “Your children are the martyrs of our silence.”
Hussein Mourtada, a co-organiser of the demonstration, addressed the crowd, emphasising the severity of the situation. He stated, “Our country is being destroyed. It's not a war; it's a kind of erasure, an uprooting of this country that has several layers of civilisation. Houses are being attacked, clinics are being attacked, civilians are being attacked. We have all come together to say that this regime's murderous madness must be stopped, that this attack must be stopped by any means necessary.”
Mourtada framed the protest as a direct message to French President Emmanuel Macron and the European Union, highlighting Israel's status as a significant trade partner. He insisted, “Soft words are fine, but when the bombs are raining down on us, we have to act. We have to bring pressure to bear, whether by political or economic means.”
The protest followed the assassination of long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Friday, an event that significantly escalated tensions in the region.
One protester reflected on Nasrallah's legacy, stating, “He is a man who was appreciated by his friends and respected by his enemies. Many Lebanese feel saddened because he was a historic figure in the Lebanese resistance. There are many Lebanese personalities and ordinary people who did not approve of his policies, but they can only be saddened by his death and the way in which he died.”
On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in addition to the exchange of rocket fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, sparking fear across the Middle East of a looming regional conflict on multiple fronts.
On Monday, the IDF announced the start of a campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah positions dubbed 'Operation Northern Arrows'. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that these attacks have resulted in more than 1,030 deaths and left 6,300 people injured.
Tensions between the sides escalated in mid-September after a series of explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah left dozens dead and thousands injured. Hezbollah responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah, Lebanese, and Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling with the Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Place de la République in Paris on Sunday to express solidarity with Lebanon amid escalating tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. The protest featured display of Lebanese flags, creating a sea of red and green in the square. Disturbingly, bloodied dolls were laid on the ground, symbolising the human cost of the ongoing conflict, as participants held a sign stating, “Your children are the martyrs of our silence.”
Hussein Mourtada, a co-organiser of the demonstration, addressed the crowd, emphasising the severity of the situation. He stated, “Our country is being destroyed. It's not a war; it's a kind of erasure, an uprooting of this country that has several layers of civilisation. Houses are being attacked, clinics are being attacked, civilians are being attacked. We have all come together to say that this regime's murderous madness must be stopped, that this attack must be stopped by any means necessary.”
Mourtada framed the protest as a direct message to French President Emmanuel Macron and the European Union, highlighting Israel's status as a significant trade partner. He insisted, “Soft words are fine, but when the bombs are raining down on us, we have to act. We have to bring pressure to bear, whether by political or economic means.”
The protest followed the assassination of long-time Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on Friday, an event that significantly escalated tensions in the region.
One protester reflected on Nasrallah's legacy, stating, “He is a man who was appreciated by his friends and respected by his enemies. Many Lebanese feel saddened because he was a historic figure in the Lebanese resistance. There are many Lebanese personalities and ordinary people who did not approve of his policies, but they can only be saddened by his death and the way in which he died.”
On Sunday, Israel launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in addition to the exchange of rocket fire with Hezbollah in Lebanon, sparking fear across the Middle East of a looming regional conflict on multiple fronts.
On Monday, the IDF announced the start of a campaign of airstrikes on Hezbollah positions dubbed 'Operation Northern Arrows'. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that these attacks have resulted in more than 1,030 deaths and left 6,300 people injured.
Tensions between the sides escalated in mid-September after a series of explosions of wireless communications devices used by Hezbollah left dozens dead and thousands injured. Hezbollah responded by launching hundreds of rockets into northern Israel.
Hezbollah, Lebanese, and Palestinian factions have been exchanging cross-border shelling with the Israeli forces since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.