Paris June 13th 2020…

The protest against police brutality on Saturday June 13, 2020 was long awaited. In the current post-Covid-19 context, social tensions of the past two years the drop of too much has come from the west, echoing in the collective memory of the population. “Police violence” once the word was released, a political earthquake woke up old catchphrases as well as cases of police violence that have dragged on for years. Questioning the independence of the authorities guaranteeing control of the police. Questioning the credibility of the power in place.

In Paris as in other cities in France, thousands of people took to the streets, demanding more equality, more justice and less impunity. Led by Assa Traore, Adama’s sister, alongside the families of other victims of “police violence”, Sabri’s father, Babacar’s family and many others …

The demonstration seemed to be authorized by the prefecture of police until the information fell at the last moment … The prefect of police prohibited it. The procession will not leave the Place de la République despite several attempts to negotiate with the police. The demonstrators already reassembled by the deployment of a banner by “Génération identitaire” on the roof of a building in front of the Place de la République. But after a few moments residents of this building tore off this banner the the crowd below yelling at them as heroes.

After several hours of “sitting” where the families of the victims took turns at the microphone to tell about and condemn the violence, scuffles broke out between the police and some demonstrators, the police charged and some wounded were deplored. I saw one lying on the ground, bleeding, hit in the face some said he had received a shot from LBD in the face, was it his eye? another was treated for a back injury, an impact had made him a fairly impressive hematoma under the scapula …