Many thousands of people, including political leaders of the left, have assembled in Paris on the evening of Tuesday 9 June to salute the memory of George Floyd, whose funerals were held at the same time in Houston, United States. This tribute to the African-american 46-year-old, killed on 25 may in Minneapolis by a white policeman, was attended by 2 400 people on the square of the Republic, according to the prefecture of police. The crowd, assembled at the call of SOS Racism, has observed, knee to the ground, eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence, the time during which Derek Chauvin, charged with murder, has maintained her knee on the neck of George Floyd, tackled to the ground and complaining of not being able to breathe.
Many leaders of the left and the Greens – Jean-Luc Mélenchon (BIA), Olivier Faure (PS), Yannick Jadot (EELV), Fabien Roussel (PCF) – were present. “There is a movement of awareness in the country against the horrible contamination of racism, or where one would not see, in an important body, the police “, said the leader of France Insubordinate. Rallies of a few hundred people were also held in Mulhouse, Colmar and Metz.
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Several placards were carried by the participants to parisians as ” I say no to racism “, “white men are born free and equal” or “George Floyd, Cedric Chouviat, same font, same racism, same asphyxiation” in reference to the driver who died in January in Paris during an interpellation controversial. “To me it affects me directly, I have a friend who died 15 years ago, it’s been 25 years that we eat it,” says Sabri Noureddine. “What we are told it is the tip of the iceberg,” points out that electrician of 38 years. The singer and actress Camelia Jordana, who has sparked controversy in may after accusing the police of “massacring” of men and women for the colour of their skin, came to sing ” We shall overcome “, the anthem of the movement to fight for civil rights.
Place de la République, Paris, 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence for #GeorgeFloyd.
The knee to the participants with the presence of @JLMelenchon. #BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/GesQhw9wUv
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) June 9, 2020
An event authorized by the prefecture of police
This event, unlike the previous, had not been forbidden by the prefecture of police. The state health emergency prohibits public gatherings of more than ten people “but the emotion world, which is healthy on this subject, exceeds the merits of the legal rules that apply,” said the morning the Interior minister Christophe Castaner.
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The death of George Floyd, became the symbol of police violence, has raised a wave of indignation world, without precedent, and pushed tens of thousands into the streets to protest against racism and police brutality and to demand ” justice “. At the request of Emmanuel Macron, Christophe Castaner Monday announced several measures to improve police conduct, including the suspension systematic agents ” for each hint, proven acts or comments that are racist “. “The minister of the Interior has provided answers but I would like to say that it already is positive to recognize racism within the forces of the order. It is normal that citizens want the police to be beyond reproach, ” underlined Dominique Sopo, president of SOS Racism.
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