Yellow waistcoats in Paris: new violences at the time of the act 23 and several stopped journalists, others wounded

The act 23 of the “yellow waistcoats” gathered Saturday 27,900 demonstrators in France, including 9,000 in Paris, according to the ministry for the Interior. These figures reveal a decline in the mobilization. The day was marked by new scuffles in the French capital.

In Paris, one counted 227 interpellations this Saturday. The police also proceeded to more than 20,000 preventive controls, according to the police headquarter. For several days, the capital had been announced like a key issue of dispute, even if no “black block” were still noted.

Several thousands of people had gathered in the morning under a large sun, in Bercy, before springing around midday in the direction of the place of the Republic. Other demonstrators found themselves towards the station of North to go close to the Saint–Denis basilica, in the 93. This second procession was held without incident.

On the other hand, of the scuffles enamelled the procession of the principal demonstration, in particular in the 11th district. Arrived close to the place of the Republic, the demonstrators were contained and a tended face–to–face discussion opposed a group of a hundred people with police, which used tear gases and proceeded to several loads, under the passive glance of “yellow waistcoats” below these violences.

Some shouted “Commit suicide, commit suicide”, referring to the vagueness of suicides without precedent which strikes the national police force since the beginning of the year.

More than 60,000 police officers and gendarmes were deployed in all the country and of on suspicion prohibited symbolic systems places, starting with the accesses of the cathedral Notre–Dame. On the Fields–Élysées, also prohibited, the police filtered the passers by. The famous avenue had been ransacked on March 16th.

According to the assistant of mayor, who was in the afternoon in the center of operational day before with Anne Hidalgo, the damage is new “the very important ones”. “On all the way between Bastille and Republic while going towards Goncourt, there is breakage of street furniture and the trade are very touched”, he deplored whereas Paris was touched hard with the fire of the cathedral of Notre–Dame.

First deputy mayor of the 3rd district, Gauthier Caron–Thibault also criticized with half–word on Twitter the police plan: “I acknowledge not to understand how the organization of the police did not know to avoid the entry of the breakers in the maze of the streets of the Marsh whereas for several days she has announced the arrival of it”.

“The prefect of police greets the effective and professional action police officers, gendarmes and firemen mobilized for the 23e time on a demo yellow waistcoats. They implemented the instructions of the Home Secretary and thus ensured the maintenance of the public order Paris. ” The tweet largely made react on the side of the demonstrators but as of certain independent journalists, who point out as fellow–members were abused today, in spite of their helmet or their arm–band presses.

The independent journalist Alexis Kraland, also accustomed to follow the yellow Waistcoats, would have also been the object of an interpellation in front of the station of North. According to its fellow–member Maxime Reynié, it had however indicated its profession. “And several colleagues tried to discuss with the police before seeing itself ordering to leave the places if not interpellation”, specifies the independent photographer.

The journalist @akraland has been just made challenge firmly in the station of north #paris whereas he indicated his occupation of journalist and that several colleagues tried to discuss with the police before seeing itself ordering to leave the places if not interpel #Acte23

— Maxime Reynié (@Maxime_Reynie) April 20th, 2019

According to a fellow–member of the Barber, Thibault Izoret, that which follows the yellow mobilizations of Waistcoats regularly was handcuffed place of the Republic. “The interpellations nonin conformity multiplied and my colleague of the Barber was taken with part by a member of the police, I will diffuse the images this evening”, he prevents.

A journalist (@GaspardGlanz according to many pilot journalists) handcuffed. the interpellations nonin conformity multiplied and my colleague of the @Le_Figaro taken to part by a member of the FDO, I will diffuse the images this soir#GiletsJaunes# Acte23pic.twitter.com/iOz10pnrOc

— Thibault Izoret (@TIM_7375) April 20.2019

#Acte23: NS attended the arrest of the journalist Gaspard Glanz at the time of an offensive of the FDO on several media (of which my colleague Sacha Benitah who covered into live l‘#acteXXIII for @Le_Figaro, video to come) #libertedelapress @GaspardGlanz #ultimatum2 # giletsjaunespic.twitter.com/vkknSH18ZO 22: April 5th-20th, 2019 of Paris

— Thibault Izoret (@TIM_7375)

The journalist collaborating with RFI Marine Jeannin shares it a photograph of Alexis Kraland surrounded by several police officers and ensures that he “was then embarked”.

The journalist @akraland is embarked by the police at Station of Nord# ActeXXIIIpic.twitter.com/grXM2lqr2o

— Marine Jeannin (@Marine_Jeannin_) April 20th, 2019

Alexis Kraland told on Twitter his mishap, after several testimonies of fellow–members denounced his arrest: “Left a keep–with–sight of 8:00 because at station of north I refused to release my camera with a police officer whose colleague affirmed that it is a weapon of defined use. They thus bludgeoned my hand which held it before me to challenge for rebellion of palpation”. “No notification of my rights, not right to the doctor nor with a lawyer. (…) 8:15 after the interpellation I left without continuations (a priori) but my helmet of skateboard, my shin guard and my safety goggles were destroyed on order of a magistrate”.

Left a keep–with–sight of 8:00 because at station of north I refused to release my camera with a police officer whose colleague affirmed that it is a “weapon of defined use”. They thus bludgeoned my hand which held it before me to challenge for “rebellion of palpation”

— Alexis Kraland (@akraland) April 20th, 2019

Pierre Tremblay, journalist in Huffpost, reports that two men “were touched by projectiles left nowhere (grenade lacrymo?)” whereas they were close to him, away from the confrontations.

It is not necessary to be in the middle them confrontations to be wounded by the FDO. Here, an example among others. These two men were touched by projectiles left nowhere (grenade lacrymo?) whereas they were close to me, with the variation. # Acte23pic.twitter.com/WVgJciKUJv

— Pierre Tremblay (@tremblay_p) April 20th, 2019

A water cannon is used place of the Republic to disperse the demonstrators. A machine called “the schtroumpf” by the police, because of the blue chemical marker whom it diffuses. If the use of this last could be noted by deferring it RTL, the authorities do not confirm this information.

This Saturday, the water which left the water cannons used place of the Republic was of an electric blue, this liquid could play the part of “marker”, already evoked by Édouard Philippe mid-March.

Monday, March 18, Édouard Philippe had indeed already announced that the police would have recourse to “marking” at the time of the demonstrations, it had then spoken about a “coloured marker” and another “transparency” remaining several weeks. These two types of liquids aim at marking somebody at the time of an infringement, to facilitate its interpellation.

The demonstrators were mainly given go to Paris, for what they present like a new “ultimatum”, whereas Emmanuel Macron reveals next Thursday his reforms drawn from the great debate.

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