Parisians protest against 'racist' attacks by police during lockdown
Tear gas and batons were used by police officers in the northern Paris suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne after a number of police vehicles and bins were set on fire.
RiotsRiots broke out on the streets of Paris overnight amid rising anger at the treatment of ethnic minorities by ‘heavy-handed’ police during lockdown, reports the Metro.
Tear gas and batons were used by officers in the northern suburb of Villeneuve-la-Garenne in the early hours after a number of police vehicles and bins were set on fire.
Videos showed fireworks being set off as armed police faced groups of protesters. President Emmanuel Macron has extended strict social distancing measures until May 11 across France, where coronavirus has claimed almost 20,000 lives.
The country’s daily death toll fell to the lowest level in three weeks on Sunday with 395 more lives lost.
But during the lockdown, police in Paris have faced allegations of racism, accused of disproportionately arresting people from Arab and Muslim backgrounds for breaking distancing rules.
