PARIS—Jewish activists from the Union of Jewish Students (UEJF) were assaulted on Wednesday as they distributed leaflets outside a gathering of Marine Le Pen’s extreme-right National Rally party in Metz.
The students were rallying peacefully to warn against the danger of the far-right in Europe in the run-up to the European elections in May.
Members of the security service of the National Rally violently attacked several of the activists, including UEJF President Sacha Ghozlan. Two of them were thrown to the ground, attacked with nightsticks and sprayed with tear gas in their eyes.
Sacha Ghozlan declared: “Despite this particularly violent scene that demonstrates once again that this party is part of a hateful logic, we will not let ourselves be terrorized by the extreme right. If the police service of a political party is able to attack its political opponents, it suggests the worst if the Marine Le RN takes power.’’ He added : ‘’We must mobilize to block the National Rally.’’
Crif, the umbrella group of Jewish institutions in France, condemned the violent attack and expressed support for UEJF while urging sanctions against the far-right party.