French judiciary bans march against police violence in Paris

The French judiciary has banned a march that was scheduled to take place on Saturday in the Paris region to commemorate a man who died during an arrest in 2016, citing the riots that followed the death of the young man, Nael. This decision comes as other gatherings by citizens in the country have been announced.

The demonstration was planned to mark the anniversary of Adama Traoré, a young black man who died on July 19, 2016, at the age of 24 in the courtyard of the Persan police station (about thirty kilometers north of Paris) after being apprehended by gendarmes following a chase.

The administrative court in nearby Cergy-Pontoise, which was urgently presented with the request for the gathering, relied on the "riots that followed Nael's death" on June 27 in Nanterre to make its decision on Friday evening.

The killing of Nael, a 17-year-old, during a traffic stop on the side of a road in Nanterre, west of Paris, led to outbreaks of violence, including burning cars, looting public buildings, and setting fire to trash cans in several cities across France.

The court stated in a statement, "Although the violence has subsided in recent days, its recent occurrence does not allow us to assume the disappearance of any risk of public disorder."

Adama's older sister and activist, Assa Traoré, who organizes the marches in his memory, confirmed in a video message posted on Twitter that there would be no march on Saturday in Beaumont-sur-Oise as originally planned.

She stated that the government "decided to pour oil on the fire" and "disrespected the death of my little brother." However, the police brutality activist confirmed that she would be present "on Saturday at 15:00 in the Place de la République" in Paris to shout "to the whole world that our dead have the right to exist, even in death."

A "March for Justice" will take place in this square on Saturday afternoon, alongside nearly thirty other demonstrations against police violence in France.

An official from the Val-d'Oise administration announced on Thursday the ban of this annual demonstration held in memory of Adama Traoré, who died during his arrest in 2016 and has become a symbol of police violence.

The "Adama Committee," led by Assa Traoré, has submitted an urgent asylum request to overturn the court's decision.

Arié Alimi, one of three lawyers for the "Adama Committee," argued in the hearing that the court's decision "constitutes a political use of the fundamental right to demonstrate."

However, the chief of police in Val-d'Oise, who personally attended to defend the court's decision, confirmed that there were not enough officers to ensure the security of the gathering. He stated that the security forces were depleted.

The "Truth for Adama" group gathers hundreds of people each year in a march demanding the condemnation of the gendarmes involved and a broader condemnation of police violence.



AFP