Black blocs, anti-Semitic insults, ambiguous Tondelier… What we know about the attack on Jérôme Guedj and the Socialist Party on May 1st
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The socialist deputy, Jérôme Guedj, during the demonstration in Paris, May 1, 2025. BASTIEN OHIER / HANS LUCAS VIA AFP
Summary: During the May Day parade in Paris, Socialist activists and elected officials—including MP Jérôme Guedj—were targeted with insults, some of them anti-Semitic, and violence. Since then, condemnations have multiplied, as have controversies. Several complaints will be filed.
A May Day parade marked by violence for the Socialists in Paris. The Socialist Party (PS) denounced on Thursday insults and physical attacks targeting its activists and elected officials, including MP Jérôme Guedj, who was already insulted on April 27 during a rally against Islamophobia. They were targeted because "they are Socialists and because some of them are Jewish," accused the number two of the PS, Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol , on Friday, May 2.
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Strongly denounced by a large part of the left, this attack has been the subject of a controversy surrounding the national secretary of the Ecologists, Marine Tondelier , who, after having given her "support" to the socialists, made ambiguous remarks appearing to justify the violence suffered by Jérôme Guedj. She has since apologized. "Le Nouvel Obs" returns to what happened.
• Socialists “insulted then attacked by black blocs”In a summery climate and a festive atmosphere, the Parisian procession for May Day sets off from Place d'Italie. The pink party has set up a "festive fixed point" on the route of the demonstration. At 3:30 p.m., MEP Chloé Ridel shared a video on X in which several people dressed in black, some hooded, others carrying anti-fascist flags, are seen violently attacking the socialists. "We were insulted and then attacked by black blocs: they tore down our flags and banners, kicked, punched, and threw firecrackers ," wrote the PS spokesperson. "A comrade was dragged and lynched on the ground, another elected official was injured. Our security service defended us courageously until the police arrived. Our stand was destroyed." " Four Socialists were slightly injured," Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said. According to the Paris prosecutor's office, one person was taken into custody after the incidents near the Socialist Party stand (mortar fire, damage, and violence).
"A first virulent group gave us the finger, called us 'traitors' and chanted 'everyone hates the Socialist Party,'" Socialist MP Jérôme Guedj told AFP. Accusations of "treachery" have been a frequent theme among the radical left and far left against the Socialist Party since its decision not to vote on the motions of censure against François Bayrou. "Then 20 or 30 people dressed in black, like black blocs, arrived and made contact. They hit people and led a charge, throwing several agricultural bombs," he continued. "For me, they were black blocs and anti-fascists," he added, referring to these violent far-left groups. "These people turned towards me a lot to insult me."
• Anti-Semitic insults targeting Guedj in particularThis violence was compounded by anti-Semitic insults, according to several socialist leaders. "Activists who claim to be from the left, the far left [...] first started insulting us as 'dirty Zionists,' 'genocidaires,' 'traitors,' these are words that were uttered. They insulted all socialists," said socialist MEP Emma Rafowicz, a regular victim of anti-Semitic insults, on BFMTV .
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"Jérôme Guedj himself was once again the target of anti-Semitic insults," said the head of the Paris Socialist Federation, Lamia El Aaraje, in a statement . The Essonne MP told AFP that he had not heard any anti-Semitic insults directed at him during the attacks. He still had to be removed from the procession.
• The anger of the PS, the discretion of LFIAs the images are shown on a loop on the news channels, condemnations are coming from almost the entire political class. "By their methods, the black blocs discredit the struggles they claim to be leading ," denounces the First Secretary of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure on X. "They serve as useful idiots to all those who dream of transforming the crowd of workers into a violent pack that must be contained." The socialist boss announces that complaints are being filed. A complaint is being filed on behalf of the Socialist Federation of Paris, Lamia El Aaraje assured for her part.
