French police use of tear gas against migrants

On Monday, November 23, French police officers went to Place de la Republique and forcibly and brutally removed migrants from tents. Dozens of tents were removed while police officers used tear gas, hit migrants with batons, barged into individuals, purposefully made them trip with riot shields and chased them down the streets (Willsher, 2020; BBC, 2020)

Around 450 refugees had put tents in Place de la Republique following the dismantlement of an illegal campsite in Northern Paris as a sign of protest (BBC, 2020; Willsher, 2020). Before protesting, the charity who organized the protest, Utopia 56 had requested that authorities provide shelter for the 3,000 homeless migrants in Paris. As there was no response, Utopia 56 decided to organize a peaceful protest where migrants would set up their tents in one of the main squares of Paris, to raise awareness on the housing crisis. After the attack from the police, their efforts were joined by bystanders as hundreds of volunteers and migrants linked arms and chanted “papers for all, accommodation for all” (BBC, 2020).

This outbreak of police brutality coincided with a new security bill being approved that hinders freedom of the press. The French parliament passed a bill on Tuesday saying that the media would not be able to scrutinize police behaviors as much. Indeed, article 24 of the security bill that was passed now makes it a criminal offence to publish images were police officers can be identified as it has the potential to damage their ‘integrity’ (BBC, 2020; Chadwick, 2020). The official stance of the government is that this does not hinder freedom of speech but protects the identity of police officers, who could be put in harm’s way if their picture is published. This has come following the large demonstrations that France has had over 2020 on police brutality and racism. The fine for such offence is a year in prison or a fine of a maximum of 45,000 euros (BBC, 2020). 

This is not the first time that the French police force make headlines for attacking migrant populations. The infamous ‘Jungle’ in Calais was demolished in 2016 without having a contingency plan, leaving thousands of refugees on the streets once more. During the forced evictions, police had used the same methods as Monday this week, including beating migrants with batons or having an officer urinating on a tent. Three years after the demolition, there are still upwards of 1,200 refugees and unaccompanied minors who are sleeping rough in the streets of Calais without access to food or sanitation, as a direct result of the demolition of the jungle (Amnesty International, 2019). 

French politicians have expressed their outrage to the behaviors conducted by police officers. Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, tweeted his shock by the action and demanded a review on police procedures (BBC, 2020). According to the IGPN, which is the police’s internal an initial inquiry, will report back within 48 hours. Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, denounced the police violence and stated that their actions are a “denial of France’s humanitarian duty” (Willsher, 2020).