Protesters around world capitals launched a weekend of action to support Black Lives Matter, in many cases defying bans on public gatherings like in Paris where at least two protests went ahead despite being unauthorised, reports FRANCE 24.
Taking a knee, chanting and ignoring social-distancing measures, outraged protesters kicked off a weekend of global rallies Saturday against racism and police brutality.
The May 25th death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man arrested in the US state of Minnesota, has brought tens of thousands out onto the streets despite a pandemic that is ebbing in Asia and Europe but spreading rapidly in other parts of the world.
In Paris, riot police held back a crowd of several thousand who gathered outside the US embassy compound for an unsanctioned protest. Another group also gathered at the Champs de Mars park facing the Eiffel Tower.
“I find it scandalous that all these injustices go unpunished,” Dior, a 21-year-old Senegalese-Ivorian student, said amidst crowds holding up placards reading “Being black is not a crime” and “Our police are assassins”.
The French rallies spread to about a dozen cities, including Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, Lille and Metz, as racist comments leaked from a private Facebook group for police officers added to outrage over racism among French law enforcement.