PARIS: Around 2,000 people defied a ban to join a memorial rally in central Paris Saturday for a young black man who died in police custody, while marches took place throughout France to denounce police brutality, as tensions run high after days of rioting engulfed the country.
Nationwide, around 5,900 people took to the streets, according to the interior ministry.
Seven years after the death of Adama Traore, his sister had planned to lead an annual commemorative march north of Paris in Persan and Beaumont-sur-Oise.
But fearful of reigniting recent unrest sparked by the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel M. at a traffic stop near Paris, a court ruled the chance of public disturbance was too high to allow the march to proceed.
In a video posted on Twitter, Assa Traore, Adama's older sister, denounced the decision.
"The government has decided to add fuel to the fire" and "not to respect the death of my little brother", she said.
She instead attended a rally in central Paris's Place de la Republique.
"We are marching for the youth to denounce police violence. They want to hide our deaths," she said.
While she said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin would give specifics, Borne announced a ban on the sale of fireworks, which had been used by rioters to target police.
The Paris rally for Traore had also been banned on the grounds that it could disrupt public order and a legal case has been opened against Assa Traore for organising the event, police said.
Youssouf Traore, another of Assa Tarore's brothers, was arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of violence against a person holding public authority, public prosecutors said.
"The march went off peacefully, it was a success, we don't understand his arrest," Assa Traore said.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the hard-left France Unbowed party, castigated the government.
"From prohibition to repression... the leader is taking France to a regime we have already seen. Danger. Danger," he tweeted, referring to the World War II regime of Vichy leader Philippe Petain.
Many at the rally shouted "Justice for Nahel" before calmly dispersing later in the afternoon.
Around 30 demonstrations against police violence also took place across France, including in the southern port city of Marseille and Strasbourg in the east. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
