Paris – French Jewish philosopher Alain Finkielkraut was verbally assaulted by yellow vest protesters on Saturday evening, some of which called him a “dirty Jew” and a “dirty Zionist shit.”

The protesters, clad in yellow vests as customary of the regular protests against the country’s rising fuel prices, cried out “you’re going to die, you’re going to hell” at Finkielkraut.

Finkielkraut’s philosophical writing focuses primarily on identity-based violence, such as antisemitism.

Although Finkielkraut was subject to controversy in the past, he has expressed support for the yellow vest protests, saying that he “likes this movement in its beginnings and continue to love it.” However, he has more recently criticized the movement.

French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack, saying that “the antisemitic insults [Finkielkraut] has been subjected to are the absolute opposite of who we are and what makes us a great nation.”

Les injures antisémites dont il a fait l’objet sont la négation absolue de ce que nous sommes et de ce qui fait de nous une grande nation. Nous ne les tolèrerons pas.https://t.co/WSUTuJmQWX — Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 16, 2019

“We will not tolerate them,” Macron continued.

“Those who insulted him had their faces uncovered,” said Paris representative in the French National Assembly Benjamin Griveaux on Twitter. “I hope they will be identified, prosecuted and heavily convicted.”