French youth defying a ban on a protest against Israel’s Gaza offensive have set fire to cars and garbage cans in a Paris suburb after a calm demonstration.

Sunday’s unrest in Sarcelles, north of Paris, was the second time in two days that pro-Palestinian demonstrations turned violent. The demonstration, like the one in Paris on Saturday, had been banned to ensure peace.

Tension mounted as scores of Jewish youth, some armed with iron bars, encircled a synagogue to “protect” it.

The rampage came hours after France honored some 13,000 Jews rounded up 72 years ago, most kept in a cycling stadium before being sent to Auschwitz.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls denounced a “new form of anti-Semitism” on the Internet and sprea

(AP)