The French Communist Party mentions a “proven threat that never existed” regarding the call for a national demonstration and the presence of potential troublemakers last Saturday. 80 arrests were made during the day.
The last weekend was shaken by several events and clashes that were widely covered by the French media. On Saturday, following the decision of the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture, public demonstrations were prohibited. A protection perimeter was established around certain areas of Nice to prevent any gatherings.
On Place Garibaldi, a few dozen “Yellow Vests” gathered despite a strong police presence. The activist Geneviève Legay, aged 74, was seriously injured in the head after falling during a police charge.
“What happened in Nice is an illustration of the abuses of a power that seeks by all means to criminalize and repress not the real troublemakers but the men and women who act for the common good,” declared Robert Injey, Member of the National Council of the PCF, and Philippe Pellegrini, Secretary of the Nice section, in a statement.
The two men particularly criticize the very large number of law enforcement personnel mobilized against a phantom threat, reminding that previous demonstrations took place without any incidents. “Since November 17, there has been no incident marking the Yellow Vests’ initiatives in Nice, whose peaceful attitude is one of their main characteristics. But on Saturday, March 23, Christian Estrosi, in an electoral logic and based on fanciful rumors, never confirmed, played on fears. Under the threat of announced hordes, but whose slightest shadow was never seen, Nice was under siege, a city paralyzed, with many businesses closed,” the statement specifies.
Between Saturday and Sunday, many traffic restrictions were put in place, a consequence of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Nice and his meeting with Emmanuel Macron.
Invited to the France Bleu Azur set, the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, expressed his anger towards the State services that allegedly did not communicate all the measures taken during this weekend, which will remain long in the memory of the people of Nice.
