French police fire teargas at activist orchestra in Paris

Conductor Étienne Jarrier says the Orchestre du Nouveau Monde was deliberately gassed during a peaceful protest

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time2 min

French riot police fired teargas at the Orchestre du Nouveau Monde (ONM) during a protest in central Paris last Saturday, forcing conductor Étienne Jarrier to stop a performance the orchestra had coordinated with authorities. Jarrier told the Guardian that police failed to warn the musicians before gassing the square, with canisters landing among instruments and starting small fires.

The Orchestre du Nouveau Monde, co-founded by 25-year-old conductor Étienne Jarrier in 2022, blends classical music with social and climate activism. Describing itself as anti-racist, feminist, environmentalist and committed to de-growth, the ensemble has previously performed at a melting Alpine glacier and outside the headquarters of the far-right Rassemblement National.

On Saturday, the ONM gathered between 400 and 500 musicians at Place de la République to play ahead of a student and union protest. Jarrier said the orchestra informed the CRS riot police they would be performing and asked for a warning if officers planned to charge or use teargas. “They said they would warn us,” Jarrier told the Guardian.

As the orchestra rehearsed, a large crowd gathered. Teargas canisters then began landing around them. Jarrier noted that while the canisters were not directly aimed at the orchestra at first, they continued to fall after the square had been cleared of other protesters. “The aim was to clear a peaceful crowd… But even when the square was empty all around us, the CRS continued to gas the orchestra,” he said.

The musicians formed a human chain and packed away their instruments. “We are very angry about what happened. It’s an extremely serious shift in maintaining order,” Jarrier said. “The government is not listening to demands and is responding not with politics but police.”

The Guardian sought comment from the French Ministry of Defence and the Paris police prefecture, but neither responded.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Tests the limits of peaceful civil disobedience and artistic protest in France.
Raises questions about the proportional use of riot control agents against organised, non-violent groups.
The unique image of a classical orchestra being teargassed draws international attention to protest policing in the country.

Background

The Orchestre du Nouveau Monde (ONM) was founded in 2022 and has positioned itself as a musical wing of social movements in France. French riot police, the CRS, have faced significant criticism for heavy-handed tactics during the Yellow Vests protests and demonstrations against pension reforms. Teargas and baton charges are standard tools used to manage public gatherings in Paris.

Key Perspectives

The Orchestre du Nouveau Monde: The orchestra argues their music provides a peaceful, unifying focus for protest. They state they sought consent from police and were given assurances before, in their account, being deliberately targeted, which they describe as a dangerous escalation in state repression. French authorities (Ministry of Defence, Paris Police Prefecture): Did not respond to requests for comment on the incident. The government has historically defended the CRS, stating their actions are necessary to prevent violence and property damage, which the authorities argue is often instigated by fringe elements within larger protests. Critics of the protest movement: Conservative and far-right figures in France often characterise large student and union demonstrations as disorderly, arguing that a firm police presence is required to contain them and prevent the kind of looting that occurred elsewhere in the city on the same day.

What to Watch

An official statement or justification from the French Interior Ministry or Paris police prefecture.
Whether the ONM’s legal complaints or future performances change police protocol at demonstrations.
The trajectory of student and union protest momentum in the coming weeks.

Sources

‘An orchestra being gassed should be an alarm signal’: the musical activists targeted in Paris · World news | The Guardian

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedFrench riot police fired teargas at the Orchestre du Nouveau Monde during a protest in Paris last Saturday.World news | The Guardian: “As riot police encircled Place de la République last week, lobbing teargas canisters to disperse demonstrators”
SupportedJarrier said the orchestra was deliberately gassed during a peaceful protest.World news | The Guardian: “I noticed his musicians were being directly targeted”
Not in the sourcesThe performance had been coordinated with authorities.World news | The Guardian: “As between 400 and 500 musicians gathered in the square, orchestra members alerted the CRS that they would be present and performing, Jarrier said.”
SupportedJarrier said police promised to warn the musicians, but did not warn them before using teargas.World news | The Guardian: ““We asked them to let us know if they plan to charge or gas the square, and they said they would warn us,” he said.”
Partly supportedTeargas canisters landed among instruments and started small fires.World news | The Guardian: “There were teargas canisters landing in the double bass and music stand cases, and starting fires the musicians had to stamp out”
Partly supportedJarrier said, “The aim was to clear a peaceful crowd… But even when the square was empty all around us, the CRS continued to gas the orchestra.”World news | The Guardian: ““Clearly the aim was to clear a peaceful crowd from the place, which is quite serious and something we’ve not seen before. But even when the square was empty all around us, the CRS continued to gas the orchestra.””
Partly supportedJarrier said, “The government is not listening to demands and is responding not with politics but police.”World news | The Guardian: ““It’s an extremely serious shift in maintaining order; the [government] is not listening to demands and is responding not with politics but police.””
SupportedThe orchestra gathered 400 to 500 musicians at Place de la République before a student and union protest.World news | The Guardian: “As between 400 and 500 musicians gathered in the square”
SupportedThe ONM was co-founded by 25-year-old Jarrier in 2022.World news | The Guardian: “Co-founded by Jarrier in 2022”
SupportedThe Guardian sought comment from the French Ministry of Defence and Paris police prefecture, and neither responded.World news | The Guardian: “The French Ministry of Defence and the Paris police prefecture were asked to comment on the use of teargas at Place de la République, but did not respond.”