Since the implementation of emergency state in France in response to terrorist attacks, police outrageously abuses its almost unlimited power to threaten and intimidate political activists. Thousands of searches were organized in activists’ places without any « terrorist » activity ever established. France has been preparing for months to repress the protests organized for the climate and against the mascarade of COP21. The terrorist attacks of November 13 were a perfect pretext to block any political expression and prohibit the demonstrations. Freedom of speech, that France defends so proudly, was firstly attacked by terrorism and finally cancelled by the government. Many french citizens do not understand how an emergency state against terrorism can justify such a deprivation of freedom. That is why, challenging the prohibition, thousands of citizens gathered at the square Republique to claim their right to demonstrate and protest against the fooling of COP21, on such an urgent subject as climate change. The demonstrators faced a unilateral repressive answer : police encircled the square and launched teargas grenades with the only will to provoke clashes. The demonstration finished with more than 200 persons arrested, 174 in police custody, including our friend who did not do anything but standing upright. He was teargassed, arrested and is still withheld. It was his very first demonstration.
That’s how french state cares about the freedom of speech that it has to protect and guarantee. But you will not take away our right to demonstrate !
