Two pro-Palestinian demonstrations scheduled to take place in Paris on Thursday have been banned by order of Paris police prefect Laurent Nunez, the Paris police prefecture (PP) said Tuesday night, AFP reported.

The ban was imposed “taking into account the risk of public order disruption”, the prefecture explained. Two demonstrations were to take place on Republic Square at 6 p.m.

One of the calls for the demonstration came from the “collectif national pour une paix juste et durable en Palestine” (national collective for a just and durable peace in Palestine), and the second – from the association “France Palestine Solidarité” (French Palestine Solidarity).

Two organizations that support the Palestinians are demanding an end to the blockade of Gaza imposed by the Israeli government.

A number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations have already been banned in several cities in the country due to the “risk of disturbing public order”, as was the case in Lyon on Monday.

The government fears that Saturday’s attack by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s response by bombing the Gaza Strip could spread to France. France has both the largest Muslim and the largest Jewish communities in Europe.