A synagogue located in the 19th arrondissement of Paris was vandalized and desecrated overnight between Saturday and Sunday against the backdrop of violent riots sweeping across France. Unidentified individuals forced their way into the Jewish house of worship, threw Torah scrolls and sacred books onto the ground, and scattered furniture throughout the premises. The incident adds to an extensive wave of violence, looting, and property destruction recorded throughout the country over the past 24 hours.
Video: social media
While authorities did not officially release the name of the synagogue, video footage circulating on social media networks verified that the incident targeted a small synagogue situated inside a Chabad center on Avenue Simon Bolivar, adjacent to the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in northern Paris. The recordings show sacred volumes and prayer furniture strewn across the floor. No casualties were reported, and French law enforcement has not yet announced arrests directly tied to the break-in.
“What Begins Against Jews Never Stops There”
Sacha Roytman, CEO of the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), condemned the attack and warned of the compounding perils confronting European Jewish communities during periods of civil unrest. “When chaos and violence take over the streets, synagogues are the first to be harmed. The desecration of the synagogue in Paris is a clear warning sign: what begins against Jews never ends there,” Roytman stated.
1+The assault on the house of worship comes as France grapples with an aggressive wave of nationwide unrest. Throughout Saturday, businesses across the country were looted and vandalized, spanning supermarkets, apparel retailers, sporting goods outlets, luxury boutiques, and electronics stores. In multiple instances—including several across Paris—widespread looting erupted kilometers away from authorized protest zones nominally convened over the rising cost of living.
According to updated figures released by French authorities, the total number of arrests nationwide has climbed to 1,800. In addition to extensive damage inflicted on private commerce, rioters attacked multiple police stations and vandalized public municipal buildings.
1+French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu addressed the mounting destruction, warning of profound financial fallout. “The price will be heavy across the entire country,” Lecornu said shortly before midnight, noting that he had instructed cabinet ministers to extend immediate aid to civilians and business owners whose livelihoods were wiped out. French Minister of Commerce Serge Papin also addressed the damage on social platform X, confirming that the Ministry of Economy and Finance has been mobilized to help targeted businesses manage the fallout from the unrest.