Demonstrations denounce police violence in several cities in France

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Protesters in Nantes against police violence that took place in Sainte-Soline (west), March 30, 2023. © Jeremias Gonzalez / AP

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Demonstrations in support of the injured demonstrators of Sainte-Soline and against police violence took place throughout France this Thursday, March 30.

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In Niort, Rennes, Nantes, Dijon, Lille and Strasbourg, demonstrations were called this Thursday by several collectives "in support of the two demonstrators in a coma, the wounded of Sainte-Soline and the movement against the pension reform". For several days, accusations of police violence have multiplied from unions, associations and some elected officials after rallies during which demonstrators were injured.

In Nantes, they were about 1,700 gathered in the rain. The situation degenerated around 21 p.m., with the first projectiles thrown by the demonstrators towards the police who responded with tear gas.

The right to protest in France is constitutional. It doesn't deserve to lose a hand, an eye, your life.

In Nantes, words of demonstrators

Tom Rossi

Candles and grenade scrap in Niort

In Niort, more than 400 people gathered without incident in front of the prefecture of Deux-Sèvres, including members of the collective Bassines Non Merci, co-organizers of Saturday's demonstration. More than fifty grenade debris collected in Sainte-Soline were deposited and 200 candles were to be lit at nightfall to symbolize the 200 wounded identified by the organizers. "We will not forget what Darmanin did, never!" said Bassines Non Merci spokesman Julien Le Guet to the crowd, replying: "We do not forget, we do not forgive."

► Read also: In France, protesters and union denounce an increase in police violence

In Paris, a rally was held in front of the City Hall with several hundred people. Laurence Marandola, national secretary of the Confédération paysanne, who was present, explains why her union called for demonstrations. "We called for this rally in respect for the wounded: citizens, activists, trade unionists [...]. Some are in extremely serious situations. It is essential to calmly denounce these ignoble police violence that the social movement is suffering at the moment, indignant the unionist at the microphone of RFI. The Ministry of the Interior's policy of repression, intimidation and staging of this violence is considered unacceptable." The Parisian rally was followed by a spontaneous demonstration heading towards the Place de la Bastille and Place de République.

The crowd, whose number is difficult to estimate, chants "#DarmaninAssassin! #DarmaninDémission! Despite

some false alarms, no trace of FDO yet.

The procession continues to advance in the central districts of #PARIS.
#manif30Mars #Macron pic.twitter.com/9MupENP1J5

— The Media (@LeMediaTV) March 30, 2023

Various rallies took place peacefully: 300 people in front of the prefectures of Rennes and Dijon according to AFP estimates, 400 in Lyon, a few hundred in Strasbourg.

Wild demonstration underway in the streets of #Rennes in support of the wounded of #SaintSoline pic.twitter.com/ULMhaPK93q

— Johan Rouquet (@JohanRouquet) March 30, 2023

The Defender of Rights seized after the violence of Sainte-Soline

The families of the two protesters injured in Sainte-Soline, Mickaël and Serge, aged 34 and 32, filed a complaint for "attempted murder". On Thursday evening, one of the two was still in a coma. The Defender of Rights Claire Hédon has taken up their cases ex officio, said Thursday the independent institution. The institution explains that it has seized "in view of the seriousness of the injuries caused, possibly by weapons of intermediate force, in a context of demonstrations".

The interior minister had on Wednesday asked prefects to strengthen security around prefectures in the face of "threats from the ultra-left" and orders have been issued by several prefectures to ban demonstrations.

(

Andwith AFP)

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