The atmosphere was tense during the May 1st demonstration in Paris this Thursday. A little before 3 p.m., boulevard de l’Hôpital (13th), following the capture of elected officials near the premises of the Socialist Party, the police intervened to put an end to the incident and restore calm, according to a police source.
“We were insulted and then attacked by black blocks: they snatched our flags and banners, kicked, punches, launched firecrackers. A comrade was dragged and lynched on the ground, another elected official was injured. Our order service defended us with courage until the arrival of the police. Our stand was destroyed, “testified the socialist party spokesperson Chloé Ridel.
Same story for another PS representative, Emma Rafowicz.
“They don’t scare us”
The leader of socialist deputies, Boris Vallaud denounced on Thursday, “serious and unacceptable violence” and promised to seize justice after a stampede that was victims of the militants and socialist elected officials taken to task in the Parisian procession of the 1st-May.
“Serious and unacceptable violence. These disruptors are the enemies of the workers and the left. All my support for the wounded comrades, ”wrote Boris Vallaud on X, announcing seizing the public prosecutor. “They don’t scare us, they will not silence the socialists,” he added.
“This afternoon, elected officials and socialist activists were attacked during the May 1 demonstration. These violence committed by some are unacceptable, “said Anne Hidalgo to the Parisian. “They don’t have their place in Paris. I strongly condemn them. They only aim to serve our mobilization in favor of the rights of workers. I send my support for injured activists, “she concluded.
-Among the elected officials taken to task, the deputy PS Jérôme Guedj, who moved away from the demonstrators who took him more directly, some with the “assassin” cries.
To the question of a journalist who asks him if he leaves the procession, the socialist deputy replied that he would go to the end. “We never leave the Manif of May 1 because there are enemies of workers who are there,” he also responded to the agitators around him. Jérôme Guedj had already been taken to task during the demonstration against Islamophobia last Tuesday.
The Parisian procession started from the Place d’Italie around 2:30 p.m. He will go to the Place de la Nation at the end of the afternoon. “In Paris, a premises of the PS was the target of projectile jets by particularly hostile and violent demonstrators who attacked the militants of the Socialist Party,” reacted the Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau.
“The police intervened to secure the premises and carry out arrests. I mean all of my support to attacked militants. We will not back down to political violence that the far left tries to install in our country, ”added the leader LR.
At 3.30 p.m., police had a total of 13 arrests, said a police source. Most concerned participation in a group in order to commit violence, or degradations, still according to the same source.
