‘Tel Aviv beach’ draws police, protests in Paris

A Paris beach event celebrating Tel Aviv attracted a handful of visitors but a huge number of journalists, riot police and security guards on Thursday, as well as a much larger “Gaza Beach” protest.

Bemused locals who headed down to “Tel Aviv Sur Seine” had to maneuver through bag checks, security pat-downs and metal detectors to reach the small stretch of sand on the banks of the Seine.

Paris converts a long stretch of its riverbank into a makeshift beach known as “Paris Plages” every summer, and has this year named certain days after resorts around the world.

Thursday’s event consisted of little more than a few people playing bat and ball in front of a picture of Tel Aviv, but it has been enough to excite a major media brouhaha after objections from anti-Israel protesters.

“There are 50 visitors for 500 journalists. I feel like I’m on the red carpet at Cannes,” said one onlooker.

The Tel Aviv section of the beach, not far from Notre Dame cathedral, was only around 200 meters (yards) long and guarded by a phalanx of riot police on either end.

“Coming today is an act of solidarity with the Jewish people,” said Cecilia, an Italian stretched out on a beach chair, adding that she was “a little afraid that this will degenerate.”

— AFP