Four people have been detained by French police after protesters set off flares during a concert by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in Paris on Thursday night.
Clashes broke out in the auditorium during one of three disruptions to the performance by conductor Lahav Shani and pianist Sir Andras Schiff.
The concert, which featured a programme of Beethoven and Tchaikovsky, had already been criticised by a French union for the performing arts, and pro-Palestinian activists had called for a boycott.
However, Culture Minister Rachida Dati strongly defended freedom of creativity as a French value, while Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez stated that nothing could excuse the serious disturbances in the hall.
Ticket-holders tried to disrupt the concert three times, including twice with a flare, the Philharmonie de Paris said in a statement. At one point, concertgoers reported the hall was filled with smoke.
Video filmed inside the Pierre Boulez auditorium showed a man brandishing a flare as he walked down the steps, leading to confrontations with spectators.
The troublemakers were removed and the concert, which had to be interrupted, resumed and came to a peaceful conclusion, the venue stated, adding that it would pursue legal action.
The incident sparked a strong reaction from government officials, with Laurent Nuñez condemning the disruption and commending police for their swift actions.
Notably, Manon Aubry, a European Parliament member for France Unbowed, refrained from condemning the actions, arguing that the orchestra's artists represent the Israeli state [which] commits war crimes.
Pro-Palestinian activists had pushed for the concert's cancellation, while the CGT-Spectacle union called for the Philharmonie de Paris to remind the audience of serious accusations against Israeli leaders during the concert.
Rachida Dati remarked that there was no justification for a cultural boycott and emphasized that there was no excuse for antisemitism.
Lahav Shani's involvement in this controversy is part of a larger narrative, having faced criticism in September when a performance was canceled over his perceived stance on the Israeli government.
Condemning the disruption, the Philharmonie de Paris stated that it is utterly unacceptable to threaten the safety of the public, staff, and artists... bringing [violence] into a concert hall is extremely serious.
