About 15,000 people gathered at the Palce de La Republique in central Paris on Saturday afternoon to protest police violence and racism. The demonstration, which was inspired by the worldwide protests against George Floyd's death in Minneapolis last month, was held under the slogan "Justice for Adama", after Adama Traoré, a black young man who died in police arrest in 2016.
After being denied a ride to the Opera House, the protesters hit the police. Some protesters threw bottles, stones and even bikes at the police who responded with tear gas. According to data from the Le Parisien newspaper, nearly 30 people were arrested for questioning.
George Floyd's death has given a strong echo in the French capital, not least in some suburbs where rights groups claim that reports of police violence against immigrant groups often remain.
Assa Traore, Adama Traore, who died
- What happens in the US happens here in France. Our brothers die, said Assa Traore, sister of Adama Traore, who participated in the demonstration.
Earlier this week, French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said there was "evidence of suspected racism" within the French legislature. The statement was condemned by the French police union who said the police were allowed to act scapegoats for deeply rooted social ills.