Three months after the riots, tension is still palpable between protesters and police. This Saturday, on the occasion of a rally against police violence in Paris, clashes broke out between police officers in a vehicle and demonstrators, injuring, according to the prefecture, several officers, andpushing one of them to draw his weapon.
The incident, which occurred on Boulevard de Clichy, in the north of the capital, was photographed and filmed by several journalists on site, including that of Le Parisien. On some images, broadcast on social networks this Saturday in the middle of the afternoon, we see a police car, blocked on the road, targeted by several protesters "grimed and carrying iron bars", describes the prefecture of police to the Parisian.
#Manifestation23septembre: in the end
➡️ attack of a bank on the course
➡️ attack of a police vehicle with iron bars.
🔴 I strongly condemn these attacks and support the assaulted police officers and blessés.pic.twitter.com/MHjmBXvIfX
— Laurent Nuñez (@NunezLaurent) September 23, 2023
These protesters, gathered in groups of dozens, kick and throw projectiles at the vehicle, whose flashing lights and alarm have been activated – but which does not seem to be able to move forward.
Many throws and blows
Quickly, one of the policemen on board gets out of the car shouting "Move! Move! ", a weapon firmly held at arm's length. At the sight of the officer, the projectile throwers move away. The police car then attempted a first departure, almost injuring the policeman who was not yet fully seated in the vehicle.
Damaged by traffic, the police remain blocked for at least a minute in their car, which is again targeted by several projectiles and bar blows by some demonstrators. The situation seems to calm down afterwards, with the arrival of a group of police officers on the scene.
An "intervention of the BRAV", the name of this controversial unit of police on motorcycles, "made it possible to stop the action and shelter" the police officers present in the vehicle, said the prefecture of police, which did not report any arrest at this stage. Some police officers were injured in the incident, said Paris Prefect Laurent Nuñez, who said he "strongly condemns these attacks."
A demonstration against "state violence"
A bank located at the Antwerp metro station, not far away, was also defaced by the same individuals dressed in black and hooded, reports AFP.
About 30,000 demonstrators were expected throughout the France for these demonstrations organized mainly by radical left organizations. In Paris, demonstrators of all ages held placards reading "Stop state violence," "Neither forgetting nor forgiving," and "Racist state, police state."
Before the departure of the procession, the crowd gathered on Boulevard Magenta chanted "Police everywhere, justice nowhere", "No justice, no peace" or "Justice for Nahel". The death three months ago of this 17-year-old boy, killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Nanterre, had triggered a wave of riots throughout the country.
According to the organizers, dozens of organizations, parties and unions, 15,000 people participated in the Paris demonstration. The police have not yet released their own estimate.
