French rioters vandalize Paris synagogue, set Jewish-owned shops ablaze in Marseille

PARIS (JTA) – Jewish-owned shops in Marseille were set ablaze and a synagogue in Paris was vandalized as part of widespread property damage caused by riots across France on Saturday and Sunday, according to the Jewish Community Protection Service.

It was too early to assess the full extent of the riots protesting the rising cost of living and conditions in schools, and the damage they’ve caused, but various elements in the media have described them as civil unrest and chaos, and footage of burning and vandalism has spread across social media.

From Lille in the north to Marseille in the south and in the major cities in between, media estimate that nearly 800,000 people took to the streets and some 2,000 shops were vandalized or looted. Public buildings were set on fire, and hundreds of people or more were injured, including 150 police officers, with thousands arrested.

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Promoted: JPPI, Rabbi Sharon Brous

The riots followed a student uprising that blocked entrances to high schools across the country in recent weeks. Palestinian flags and keffiyehs have been a recurring motif in most of the violent protests, acts of vandalism and looting.

But according to SPCJ, known as the Service de Protection de la Communauté Juive in French, there was no evidence that Jewish institutions or businesses were deliberately targeted.

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Vandals broke into the Ohalei Yaakov synagogue in Paris’s 19th district overnight between Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday morning, members of the Jewish community discovered that their temporary place of worship had been breached.

Hier, lors de la manifestation du #17octobre, une synagogue a été vandalisée à Paris.

La haine et la colère que je ressens en découvrant ces images insupportables…

Comment voulez-vous qu’un Français de confession juive puisse encore envisager un avenir en France ? pic.twitter.com/QJv2E8pZ4m

— Jérémy Benhaïm (@JeremBenhaim) October 18, 2026

The permanent synagogue building is currently undergoing renovations.

Inside the sanctuary, prayer books, tefillin, and various objects — taken from boxes and cupboards — were found scattered on the floor. The rabbi’s office was also searched.

Despite the mess, the Torah scrolls appeared to be unharmed.

According to a member of the synagogue committee, the incident primarily points to an attempted theft. The suspects may have been looking for money, but nothing was believed to be missing.

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