Protests disrupt Israeli conductor Lahav Shani's concert at the Philharmonie de Paris

Four pro-Palestinian activists have been arrested for allegedly setting off smoke bombs during a concert in Paris by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.

The devices were let off at the Philharmonie de Paris during a show on Thursday night led by Israeli conductor Lahav Shani.

Videos online show an individual brandishing a smoke bomb from the stands and other spectators trying to intervene, testifying to the confusion in the Pierre-Boulez room.

In a statement, Philharmonie de Paris said it regrets three interruptions and "clashes" when spectators confronted the demonstrators, who were evacuated from the building.

The Philharmonie de Paris added it "strongly condemns these serious incidents", and believes that "nothing can justify such actions".

Thursday night's incident follows criticism from the trade union CGT Spectacle.

On 29 October, the branch of the union that represents employees in the sector called for the concert in Paris by the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra to be contextualised. According to the CGT, the Philharmonie de Paris had a duty to remind its audience of "the extremely serious accusations" made against "the leaders" of Israel.

The Minister of Culture had reacted and lent her support to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. "Nothing justifies a call for a boycott of this moment of culture (...) Freedom of creation and programming is a value of our Republic. There is no excuse for anti-Semitism", Rachida Dati wrote on X.

Last September, the Ghent Festival in western Belgium had already cancelled a concert that Lahav Shani was due to conduct with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra.

According to Lahav Shani, the festival management had demanded that he make a "political statement despite [his] long-standing and publicly expressed commitment to peace and reconciliation".

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz denounced "the poison of anti-Semitism".