Death of Adama Traoré: a rally prohibited in Paris

A rally organized in the evening of Tuesday, June 2, in front of the Paris court by the family support committee of Adama Traoré was banned earlier today by the police headquarters.

Scheduled at 7 p.m., the demonstration organized in memory of this young black man who died during an arrest in July 2016 and against police violence, "was not the subject of any prior declaration and could bring together many people, no is not allowed [due to the state of health emergency which prohibits any public gathering of more than ten people], "said the police headquarters in a statement.

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The authorities also believe that "the tone of the call to demonstrate, relayed by social networks, raises fears that overflows will take place on a sensitive site".

On July 19, 2016, Adama Traoré died in a barracks in his town of Beaumont-sur-Oise, in Val-d'Oise. His death occurred almost two hours after his arrest, at the end of a chase with the gendarmes.

Symbol of police violence in France

Last week, new judicial expertise removed the responsibility of the gendarmes. 

Assa Traore, Adama's sister and spokesperson for the "Truth for Adama" committee behind the rally, denounced a "denial of justice" in this case, which has become, for its defenders, a symbol of police violence .

The call for this rally comes in the context of a flare-up of demonstrations in the United States after the death of Georges Floyd.

NBA player support

As riots intensify in the United States, French NBA player Vincent Poirier, currently pivotal of the Boston Celtics, told L'Équipe Tuesday that he took part in protests against police violence. 

"At the time of Adama Traore, I did not have this recognition, but now that I have it, I try to use it. The fact that I play for the Celtics has an additional impact", a- he explained.

He added that he wanted to use his status in the world of sport to draw attention to these issues.

With AFP and Reuters

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