French Protesters Defy Order On Mass Gatherings In Support of Amare Traoré and Black Lives Matter

In July 2016, Adama Traoré was stopped by police while out with his brother in the Paris suburb of Beaumont-sur-Oise. Traoré didn't have ID and fled as the police approached. After his pursuit and detainment, he died while in police custody. Later one of the three Gendarmerie police officers told investigators that he and his fellow officers held down Traore using their body weight. In the days following his death, violent protests emerged throughout Paris.

An official report conveyed that he died of heart failure in relation to underlying health issues. Last Thursday, the officers who detained Traoré were acquitted after a police investigation. After an additional autopsy, which was requested by the Traoré family, the report reveals that the officers' actions resulted in his death. According to broadcast Franceinfo, the report suggests that he died of "positional asphyxia."

The death of 24-year old Adama Traoré parallels the killing of George Floyd in the US, whose death compelled impassioned protesters around the globe to speak out against racism. On Tuesday, the police and protesters confrontation took place in the suburbs of Paris. Around 20,000 people defied the mass gathering mandate that was enforced due to the coronavirus and participated in the protest. What initially began as a peaceful march swiftly became violent as protesters threw stones at police who retaliated with tear gas. The Black Lives Matter movement started in the US and now inspires demonstrators internationally. Alongside protests in Paris, demonstrators also gathered by the thousands for rallies in Marseille, Lyon, and Lillie.

Photo Credit: Getty Image

Source: BBC News