An improvised party in Paris ends with clashes between young people and police

Text by: RFI Follow

An improvised evening outdoors brought together several thousand people on the Esplanade des Invalides in Paris on Saturday June 27, while the coronavirus epidemic is still active in France. Incidents then broke out between young people and the police: nine police officers were injured and five people were arrested, said the prefecture of police.

Publicity

Up to 2,000 participants were present on the Esplanade des Invalides, in the 7th arrondissement of the capital, to spend the evening on site and celebrate the end of the school or university year, according to the count of the police prefecture. This while the Covid-19 epidemic is still not eradicated in France.

The call for this rally had been discreetly launched on social networks under the code name "Project X", a reference to the American film of the same name in which a party organized by adolescents skidded.

At the Invalides, noting that some young people were very alcoholic and following hostile slogans and projectile jets, the police intervened by using tear gas in particular.

Jets of glass bottles against each other

Some participants in the improvised party stayed until 2 am, throwing glass bottles against other participants, against the police or on the police station in the 7th arrondissement, located under the Esplanade des Invalides .

According to Anaëlle, "  we heard about it on the networks, there were a few hundred of us, there was a little music, people with speakers but nothing organized  ", told AFP the Parisian girl from 19 years old, came with two friends. Then "  it went into a spin, there are people who started to throw bottles at their heads, in two seconds the police arrived we were surrounded, they started shooting tear gas  ", she continued.

These incidents come just a week after the massive and controversial youth gatherings in Paris for the music festival on June 21.

Newsletter Receive all international news directly in your mailbox

Follow all international news by downloading the RFI application

• France
• Society

On the same subject

France: Fête de la musique adapts to the Covid-19 pandemic

Morning guest

Sacha Houlié: "There is great lucidity in questioning the reform of the police"

Municipal in France: participation down at noon compared to the 1st round