A synagogue in Paris’s 19th arrondissement was vandalized overnight during the violent riots that swept across France over the weekend, leaving religious items scattered and raising fresh alarms in the Jewish community. Footage released by the Combat Antisemitism Movement shows tables overturned, furniture smashed, and sacred objects including tefillin lying on the floor inside the temporary prayer space of the Ohalei Yaakov community on Rue Burnouf. Reports also describe the Torah ark opened and prayer books strewn about, though community members said the Torah scrolls themselves were left untouched and no items appeared stolen. The incident occurred as nationwide protests against rising living costs, fuel prices, and underfunded public services, including schools, escalated into widespread looting, arson, and clashes with police. Around 550,000 to 800,000 people took part in the demonstrations, with roughly 1,800 arrests reported and hundreds of emergency personnel injured. No one was hurt at the synagogue and it remains unclear whether anyone was present during the break-in.

Jewish leaders and security groups are investigating whether the damage was linked to the broader unrest or was simply an attempted burglary, with some community representatives describing the scene as consistent with intruders searching for money and noting no clear signs of forced entry. Combat Antisemitism Movement CEO Sacha Roytman condemned the desecration, stating that when chaos takes over the streets synagogues are often among the first targets and warning that violence against Jews rarely stops there. The temporary location had been in use while the community’s regular synagogue underwent construction, and congregants discovered the damage Sunday morning after the overnight intrusion. French authorities continue to assess the full extent of the weekend’s violence, which included the burning of a historic town hall in Limoges and extensive property damage in Paris and other cities. For many in France’s Jewish community the incident has intensified long-standing concerns about safety amid social unrest and rising tensions. Police and Jewish protection services are working to determine the exact motives behind the attack as the country counts the heavy cost of the riots.