Jubilee Post News & Views
Special Desk
French police clashed with activists protesting on Paris roads against racism and police brutality. Police used tear gas against stone-throwing protesters who tried to hold a march that was banned and this was criticized by experts.
Medical experts said that any sort of liquid or vapour chemical can cause damage to breathing system and lungs and hence make people vulnerable to COVID-19 infection. The rally was a part of the worldwide movement inspired by America’s Black Lives Matter protests.
It was organised under the banner “Justice for Adama”, after Adama Traoré, a young black man who died in French police custody in 2016. About 15,000 anti-racism protesters gathered on the Place de la République in central Paris.
They chanted slogans such as “No justice, no peace”. Some climbed on the statue of Marianne, the symbol of the French Republic. Among the protesters was Assa Traoré, Adama’s sister, who called on them to “denounce social, racial, police violence”.
Although the protesters were allowed to gather, they were prevented by police from marching to the Opera area. The planned onward march had been banned because of the possible threat to local businesses.
Clashes erupted and tear gas was fired as officers moved against the protesters on the Place de la République. By early evening the demonstrators had dispersed. France’s police watchdog says it received almost 1,500 complaints against officers last year – half of them for alleged violence.
In one recent case, police are accused of seriously wounding a 14-year-old boy when he was detained on suspicion of trying to steal a scooter in Bondy near Paris last month.
