« Global security »: France in tension in more than 70 cities

Saturday afternoon, new demonstrations against the « global security » law and its article 24 were organized in Paris, but also in Bordeaux, Lyon, Strasbourg, Marseille, and even Grenoble.

Many rallies and parades are organized in France this Saturday against the « global security » law. The demonstration in Paris was authorized Friday by the justice, after the interdiction decided by the Prefecture of police to avoid the spread of the coronavirus.

Thousands of demonstrators demand the abandonment of the text, which they consider infringing « freedom of expression » and « the rule of law ». Opposition to the proposed law is exacerbated by a series of cases of police violence, including the beating of a black music producer by police in Paris a week ago.

The « march of freedoms » left shortly before 3 pm from the Place de la République, towards that of the Bastille, at the call of the collective « Stop! Global security law ». It brings together journalists’ unions, NGOs, the association of the judicial press, the League of Human Rights (LDH) and other associations. They demand the withdrawal of the proposed law of articles 21, 22, and 24.

46,000 demonstrators were present according to the Ministry of the Interior. Clashes broke out a little before 4 p.m. on the sidelines of the parade, barricades were erected, projectiles launched at the police. Journalists on the spot observed several fires on street furniture. Stores were also targeted.

Once the procession arrived at Place de la Bastille, the situation became tense again. The police used tear gas. According to the Paris police headquarters, a fire broke out in a brewery. Firefighters also intervened in a building of the Banque de France.

The police headquarters reported, at 7.45 p.m., 46 arrests. The Minister of the Interior reacted this Saturday evening by denouncing « unacceptable violence ». Gérald Darmanin points out that at least 37 police and gendarmes were injured.

Other demonstrations were held in France, in more than 70 cities. This Saturday afternoon, 2,000 people took part in a rally in Chambéry, a thousand in Lille. Several thousand demonstrators are also gathered in Marseille.

In Lyon, thousands of people marched. Tensions erupted at the end of the demonstration. Same thing in Strasbourg, where the police fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.

In Avignon, a thousand retirees, teachers, trade unionists and nurses marched through the streets of the city. In Tours, the prefecture of Indre-et-Loire counted 3,800 participants.

A thousand opponents of the law marched in Clermont-Ferrand. Among the crowd, many were motivated by the broadcast of the video of the beating of a music producer in Paris.

Several thousand demonstrators also gathered in Montpellier. « More cops than doctors, sense of priorities », « Democracy blurred », could we read on the signs brandished. Mobilization also in Guéret or even in Périgueux and Mont-de-Marsan.

In Rennes, they were 4,000 marching in the streets. At the end of the demonstration, clashes broke out with the police, who threw tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

In Limoges, they were nearly a thousand to parade in the morning. For a retiree met during the demonstration, the right to information and to film is essential for him: « Without the right to film and broadcast images of police officers, we would never have known the Benalla cases and today Michel . « 

The demonstrators were also numerous in Grenoble, about a thousand people indeed marched in the streets this Saturday.

The first gatherings have already taken place this Friday, in particular 4,000 people in Toulouse or even in Nantes. Already last week, thousands of people marched in France.

Present in Paris, the deputy of rebellious France Jean-Luc Mélenchon calls for the withdrawal of the law on « global security » and calls « to completely overhaul the police to re-establish the bond of trust between the police and the population ». For this, he proposes, among other things, « the dissolution of the BAC and the IGPN ».

At the head of the procession of the March for Freedoms in Paris are Assa Traoré, lawyer Arié Alimi, and representing the National Union of Journalists, its first secretary general Emmanuel Poupard and its general secretary Dominique Pradalié.

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