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The bridges of Paris were also invested by the many demonstrators. September 21, 2019. REUTERS / Charles Platiau

About 15,000 people walked for the climate Saturday in Paris but this event was spoiled by violence: militants of the ultra-left mingled with the procession from his departure and incidents broke out with the police .

The day was tense in the French capital where several demonstrations took place: besides the march for the climate, a demonstration of "yellow vests" opposed to the social and fiscal policy of the government, and a parade against a project of pension reform.

Broken windows, degraded bank, barricades of fortune burned: violence broke out from the beginning of the march for the climate in the early afternoon. Some 1,000 "radical" protesters were reported there by the police headquarters.

A police captain in police custody

In the early evening, 164 people were arrested, 120 of whom were detained. Among them, a police captain, who was not on duty, was taken into custody for contempt and rebellion.

The organizers have advanced the figure of 50,000 participants, they were 16,000 according to the prefecture, and just over 15,000 according to the firm Occurrence, which has done a count for a group of media including AFP.

At the center of the tensions in the afternoon, Boulevard Saint-Michel, in the Latin student district where radical militants of the movement of ultra-left "Black Blocks" and "yellow vests", for some masked, threw projectiles on the police before attacking a bank branch, street furniture, and burning bins.

Law enforcement officers used tear gas in abundance and also fired with defensive bullet launchers (LBDs), a controversial weapon responsible for many injuries in previous "yellow vests" demonstrations.

We denounce all the violence, that of #blackblock, that of the police who reacted totally disproportionately against protesters, families and people of all ages, totally peaceful pic.twitter.com/TiMRNtGWDM

Greenpeace France (@greenpeacefr) September 21, 2019

" Convergence of struggles "

In the evening, several hundred people formed a new procession, to go to Place de la Bastille, where they demonstrated in a festive atmosphere before dispersing quietly. On the Champs-Elysees, small groups were formed on the top of the avenue, repelled by regular fire of tear gas from the police to disperse them.

Before the beginning of the climate walk, the organizers had called for calm. Calls had multiplied for a "convergence of struggles" between "yellow vests" and pro-climate activists. " Everyone is involved in the procession, the slogans are very close, even the same, " said Jean-Claude, 75, who participated in a large number of events of "yellow vests."

As long as we stay on a capitalist system, we can make a cross on the ecology

March for climate in Paris: story of a day of mobilization 21/09/2019 - by David Baché Listen