France: Justice confirms ban on demonstration against police violence in Paris

The judges of the administrative court of Paris confirmed this Saturday, July 15, the prohibition of a demonstration against police violence planned for the afternoon Place de la République.

During the "March for Adama Traoré" – seven years after his death – Place de la République, in Paris, July 8, 2023. © Bertrand Guay / AFP

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The prefecture of police, reinforced by the judges of the administrative court of Paris, prevents all channels of democratic expression of perfectly legitimate claims "responded Me Lucie Simon on behalf of the National Coordination against Police Violence, composed of about fifty organizations including LFI, EELV and the CGT. "Such a decision leaves a bitter taste of incomprehension among the organizers, feeling muzzled in their most fundamental right of expression," she added.

Requested by AFP, the police prefecture "takes note" of the court decision and "recalls that the demonstration is prohibited".

On social networks, the National Coordination against Police Violence criticizes an "administrative court under the orders of (Gérald) Darmanin" and announces a press conference at 14:00 (12:15 GMT), before a meeting at 00:15 at the Bidasoa gymnasium, in the twentieth arrondissement. It no longer mentions a demonstration at 00:<> in République.

A context of "low availability of law enforcement"

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced Wednesday the ban on this gathering, as well as any other "demonstration directly related to the riots" until July 15 inclusive.

During the hearing before the administrative court on Saturday morning, Me Lucie Simon denounced "a general and therefore illegal instruction" to ban demonstrations. "If you want to curb anger, you have to channel your democratic expression," she pleaded on behalf of the organizers.

For the representative of the prefecture of police at the hearing, the problem "is not the object of the demonstration but the possibility that violent individuals" are present. And this in a context of "low availability of the police" after the recent nights of urban violence and the mobilization of an important security device Thursday and Friday evening for July 14.

The police prefecture had already banned last week a previous demonstration in Paris to honor the memory of Adama Traoré, who died shortly after his arrest by gendarmes in July 2016. Despite this prefectural measure, about 2,000 people had gathered last Saturday.

(

With AFP)

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