# French Police Tear Gas Activist Orchestra in Paris

> On October 17, 2026, French police deployed tear gas against the Orchestre du Nouveau Monde during a protest in Paris, gassing the musicians for 20 minutes even after other demonstrators had left.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-26T18:32:55.264984Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/french-police-tear-gas-activist-orchestra-in-paris-8ceaa684

French police deployed tear gas against the Orchestre du Nouveau Monde (ONM) during a performance at the Place de la République in Paris on Saturday, October 17, 2026 [2][5][16][18][21]. Canisters landed around the musicians for approximately 20 minutes, even after most other protesters had left the square [5][16][20]. This incident raises concerns about freedom of assembly and the right to peaceful protest in France, amplifying discussions about the state's handling of dissent and perceived attempts to silence cultural expression [5][7][22].

## What the records show
The Orchestre du Nouveau Monde is a Paris-based volunteer ensemble co-founded by conductor Étienne Jarrier in 2022 [1][5][8][10][11][12][16][18]. The group merges classical music with activism, advocating for social and climate justice [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][15][16][19]. On Saturday, October 17, 2026, the ONM performed at the Place de la République as part of an officially declared demonstration [5][16]. The protest addressed widespread concerns in France regarding the cost of living, school conditions, and government budget cuts [5][7][12][16][21].

## The incident
Riot police deployed tear gas to disperse demonstrators [5][16]. Conductor Étienne Jarrier observed that the police continued to gas the orchestra even when the square was empty of other protesters [5][16]. He told 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. After 20 minutes we had no choice but to stop playing" [5][16]. Percussionist Dante Oliveira Costa reported stopping his performance after seeing tear gas canisters land among the musicians and kicked them away from the orchestra [22]. Another musician, Maël Roth, recalled struggling to breathe while performing the theme from Marvel's Avengers and described fear over not being able to escape the smoke [22]. Jarrier had previously assured his musicians, "Don't worry – they're not going to use teargas or charge us when we're peaceful" [5]. He described the musicians as "stunned" and "truly shocked," adding that "It was quite scary" [5]. This was the first time the orchestra had been tear-gassed [2].

## What the subject has said publicly
Étienne Jarrier, who was 25 years old at the time of the incident, co-founded the ONM "to find new ways forward" for climate activism, which he felt had exhausted most protest avenues [8][12]. He considers "artivism" a way of reaching people "at the deepest level" [8]. He explained, "Music is a way for us to be heard" [8][12]. He noted the protest on October 17 was "a day of what we call a convergence of struggles" [5][16].

## What we could not confirm
The specific number of musicians present at the time of the incident was not confirmed. Details on any injuries sustained by orchestra members from the tear gas were also not available in the records. The official police justification for continuing to deploy tear gas directly at the orchestra after other protesters had left the square remains unclear.

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