Some 15,000 people walked for the climate Saturday, September 21 in Paris. But this demonstration was spoiled by violence: black blocks mingled with the procession from his departure and incidents broke out with the police. Nearly 99 people were taken into custody, it was learned from the prosecutor.

Broken windows, degraded bank, burned barricades of fortune ... violence broke out from the beginning of the march to 14:30. Some 1,000 protesters "radical" were reported by the police headquarters, while a new act of mobilization of yellow vests was also held Saturday in Paris.

"The police have planned dozens of grenades désencclement in the procession," said the special correspondent of France 24 on the spot around 15 hours, confirming the presence of black blocks early in the event, but also Yellow Vests "pacifists" in the procession.

The explanations of our special correspondent

The calls of the organizers of this march had multiplied for a "convergence of struggles" between yellow jackets and pro-climate activists.

Some 15,200 people participated in the march for the climate, according to the firm Occurrence, which counted for a media group including AFP. The organizers claim 50,000 participants and the police report 16,000 protesters.

"Macron, polluter of the Earth"

At 18:00, 163 people had been arrested and 395 verbalized, according to the prefecture.

After a moment of confusion due to the violence, which caused hundreds of demonstrators to go back to the starting point in the Jardin du Luxembourg, the procession finally came to an end in the Bercy district at the end of the afternoon.

There, environmental activists blocked the Tolbiac bridge and the footbridge Simone de Beauvoir, by deploying banners. On one of them, one could read, in English, "Macron, polluter of the Earth".

"At 5 days of debates on the finance bill in the National Assembly, we are #SurlePont to demand means at the height of the climate emergency," tweeted the NGO ANV-COP21

Protesters for the climate "in shock"

Earlier in the afternoon, this NGO had denounced "police violence." 45 minutes after the departure, the security forces unceremoniously projected several grenades to disencumberment in the procession, "he said. AFP a spokeswoman for ANV-COP21.

According to an AFP journalist, the police used on Boulevard Saint-Michel defensive bullet launchers (LBD), a controversial weapon responsible for many injuries in previous demonstrations of "yellow vests". They came a few minutes earlier, to take shots thrown by black blocks, some masked.

"The protesters had to back down, they are stunned, in shock," said ANV-COP21 spokesperson.

"Do not take any chances and leave the Climate March - the conditions for a non-violent march are not there," Greenpeace tweeted an hour after the start of the march. sending tear gas to non-violent protesters and families ". "The prefecture has done everything to hinder the right to demonstrate," then accused Greenpeace.

"After dealing with the black bloc and preventing it from escalating, the challenge was that the demonstration should restart, we made sure that the demonstration was held," the prefectures said, which mobilized some 7,500 members of the police.

Marches for the climate in Lyon, Bordeaux, Strasbourg

Other marches took place in France, generally in calm. In Lyon, about 5,000 people gathered in the morning in the center, according to the Rhone prefecture. In Strasbourg, they were 3,600, according to the police.

In Bordeaux, from 5 to 800 "yellow vests" according to journalists of AFP began to parade with the event for the climate according to a slogan of "convergence". But they left in an opposite direction after 500 meters. In total, NGOs claim more than 150,000 protesters throughout France.

In Paris, another demonstration took place, that of Force Ouvrière against the pension reform. In addition, Saturday was celebrated Heritage Days.

With AFP