Members of the New World Orchestra expressed shock and anger after French riot police targeted their peaceful protest performance at Place de la République in Paris with teargas. The incident occurred as security forces moved to disperse demonstrators during a day of social protest involving high-school students and trade unions.
The Orchestre du Nouveau Monde, co-founded in 2022 by conductor Étienne Jarrier, brings together hundreds of young professional and amateur volunteers who combine classical music with social and climate justice activism. Known for performing at unconventional locations and demonstrations, the ensemble’s repertoire features popular pieces alongside classical works to engage younger generations with social struggles.
New World Orchestra Targeted During Paris Protest
According to Jarrier, between 400 and 500 musicians had gathered in the central Paris square before an official march. The orchestra had alerted CRS riot police of their plans to perform and requested warnings if security forces intended to charge or clear the area. Despite these communications, officers began deploying teargas as the ensemble rehearsed.
While the initial canisters were intended to clear the surrounding crowds, the musicians reported that the chemical agents continued to be directed explicitly at the orchestra even after the rest of the square had emptied. Canisters landed near double bass and music stand cases, igniting small fires that members had to extinguish. Jarrier eventually ordered the musicians to stop playing after twenty minutes of continuous exposure.
Reactions to French Security Forces’ Response
Photographs from the demonstration captured Jarrier with his raised baton conducting against a dense backdrop of white teargas smoke near the monument representing Marianne, the symbol of the French republic. Security volunteers formed a protective human chain between the performers and police as instruments were packed away.
Jarrier criticized the police response as an alarming shift in maintaining public order, arguing that the government relies on heavy-handed policing rather than addressing legitimate public demands regarding services and living conditions. The French Ministry of Defence and the Paris police prefecture did not respond to requests for comment regarding the use of teargas at the demonstration, as reported by The Guardian.
Source: ‘An orchestra being gassed should be an alarm signal’: the musical activists targeted in Paris (source-feed timestamp 2026-10-23T11:54:48+00:00). AI-assisted report based on the cited linked article and its RSS feed; details were not independently verified.
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