Vandals desecrated 90 graves in a Jewish cemetery in France shortly before antisemitic marches were planned to take place across the country.

French president Emmanuel Macron visited the cemetery in the village of Quatzenheim, near the city of Strasbourg, on Tuesday after the graves were daubed with swastikas and antisemitic slogans overnight.

"It's important for me to be here with you today," he told local leaders and members of the Jewish community after paying his respects at one of the graves.

Many French political leaders, athough not Mr Macron himself, were due to join a march against antisemitism in Paris on Tuesday night.

Thousands of protesters planned to gather across France on Tuesday to march against antisemitism after a string of incidents plagued the country.

Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents Show all 10 1 /10 Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism6 Students holding a placard reading "Together against antisemitism" take part in a ceremony in tribute to Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jewish man abducted and killed over a decade ago. AP/Francois Mori Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism3 Vandals spray swastikas over post boxes painted with face of late Holocaust survivor and renowned French politician Simone Veil in Paris, France. 11 February 2019. AP/Mairie du XIIIth Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism1 French street artist Christian Guemy, known as C215, cleans post boxes vandalised with swastikas covering the face of the late Holocaust survivor and renowned French politician Simone Veil in Paris 12 February 2019. AP/Michel Euler Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism2 Bagel shop owner Alexandre Jankowiak, center, which shop was sprayed with the German word "Juden" on its front window last week, talks with a member of the Jewish community in Paris, Tuesday, Feb.12, 2019. According to French authorities, the total of registered anti-Semitic acts rose to 541 in 2018 from 311 in 2017, a rise of 74 percent. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) Christophe Ena AP/Christophe Ena Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism9 Poster reads "Antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, not in our name" during a gathering decrying antisemitism at Place de la Republique in Paris on 18 February 2019. AP/Francois Mori Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism5 Ceremony in tribute to Ilan Halimi at a memorial in Sainte Genevieve des Bois, Paris, February 13 2019. Two trees planted in memory of the 23-year-old Jewish man abducted and killed over a decade ago found vandalised two days later. AP/Francois Mori Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism7 Student lights candle at a ceremony in tribute to Ilan Halimi - a 23-year-old Jewish man abducted and killed over a decade ago. AP/Francois Mori Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism8 Man holds poster reading "Racists, don't touch our Jewish friends" during a gathering decrying antisemitism at Place de la Republique in Paris on 18 February 2019. AP/Francois Mori Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism10 Poster reads "Antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, not in our name" during a gathering decrying antisemitism at Place de la Republique in Paris on 18 February 2019. AP Protests across France after 74% rise in antisemitic incidents France antisemitism4 French prime minister Edouard Philippe pictured at the end of a ceremony to present the Ilan Halimi award to reward projects by youths combating antisemitism and racism at Hotel Matignon in Paris, France, 12 February 2019. Reuters/Charles Platiau

It came after an upsurge in antisemitism in the country, which is home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel and the US.

In the latest incident at the weekend, a torrent of hate speech was directed at prominent philosopher Alain Finkielkraut during a march of yellow vest protesters.

Just days earlier the government reported a 74 per cent rise in registered incidents of antisemitism – which leapt from 311 in 2017 to 541 in 2018.

A rose is placed on vandalised post boxes in Paris which have swastikas covering the face of the late Holocaust survivor and renowned French politician Simone Veil. (AP/Michel Euler)

Edouard Philippe, the French prime minister, will lead the government delegation at Place de la République in Paris.

Richard Ferrand, National Assembly president, and Gerard Larcher, head of the Senate, will also hold a moment of silence at the Shoah memorial in Paris.

Emmanuel Macron, the French president, is not expected to attend, but will deliver a speech at Wednesday’s annual dinner by leading Jewish group CRIF.

Mr Philippe said antisemitism was “deeply rooted” in French society.

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He told L’Express magazine: “We must be totally determined, I would say almost enraged, in our will to fight, with a clear awareness that this fight is an old one and will last a long time.”

In other incidents this month, swastika graffiti was found on street portraits of Simone Veil, a survivor of Nazi death camps and a European Parliament president who died in 2017.

The word “Juden” was also painted on the window of a bagel restaurant in Paris and two trees planted at a memorial honouring a young Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 were vandalised.

Last Friday, two youths were arrested after they allegedly fired shots at a synagogue with an air rifle in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, where a large Jewish community lives.

Sarcelles mayor Patrick Haddad told BFMTV on Tuesday that prosecutors considered the motive to be antisemitism.

Political parties from across the spectrum will unite in Paris but Marine Le Pen’s far-right party will hold a separate event.