Updated

Marches and gatherings against anti-Semitism are taking place across France following a series of shocking anti-Semitic acts.

Answering a call from political parties, thousands of protesters and several government members are expected to take to the streets Tuesday.

The upsurge in anti-Semitism in France reached a climax last weekend with a torrent of hate speech directed at prominent philosopher Alain Finkielkraut during a march of yellow vest protesters.

The assault came days after the government reported a huge rise in incidents of anti-Semitism last year. In other incidents this month, swastika graffiti was found on street portraits of Holocaust survivor Simone Veil, the word "Juden" was painted on a bagel restaurant and trees planted at a memorial honoring a young Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 were vandalized.