French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Saturday condemned the violence against police during the demonstrations.
– 37 police officers were injured during the demonstrations, according to preliminary figures. I once again condemn the unacceptable violence against the security forces, he writes in a Twitter message.
In Paris, 46,000 people took part in the demonstrations, according to government figures. There were clashes between protesters and police, and several fires were started. Some protesters threw cobblestones at police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons.
In the country as a whole, 133,000 participated in the protests, according to the Interior Ministry. The world writes, however, that the number was 500,000, according to the organizers.
– CONFLICTS: There were several clashes between protesters and police, and several fires were started. Photo: Alain JOCARD / AFP
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Strong reactions
The bill, which has caused many to react, may make it illegal to share photos of police officers on duty. It comes at the same time as a video of police beating a black man has provoked strong reactions in the country.
Footage from a surveillance camera published by the website Loopsider shows how the police follow the man, the music producer Michel Zecler, and starts beating him inside his music studio. The background for the incident is that Zecler did not use a face mask.
The new bill will make it illegal to share photos or videos of police officers with the aim of harming their “physical or psychological integrity”. However, civil rights groups and journalists are concerned that the law could harm the freedom of the press and make it difficult to detect police violence.
Macron
President Emmanuel Macron has reacted to the violence against the music producer, and said in a statement on Friday night that what happened was a shame.
In the aftermath of the incident, a heated debate has erupted in which French police are accused of racism.
“Police everywhere, justice nowhere”, “police state” and “smile as you are beaten” were the lyrics on some of the records the protesters in Paris carried on Saturday. They marched from Place de la République to nearby Place de la Bastille.
(© NTB)
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