Affrontement avec la police à Lyon

1/11/2018

[FRANCE: Police fire teargas as violent riots erupt in Lyon on Halloween night] At least 12 people have been arrested after violence erupted during Halloween celebrations in Lyon, according to a local news outlet. Groups of mostly young people were seen rampaging through the street throwing fireworks and committing acts of vandalism. Police fired teargas to try to contain the rioting, most of which took place near the place Bellecour, in the city centre. Similar disturbances were also reported in a number of other cities. According to France Info, a total of 100 people were arrested throughout the country. The most serious incident took place in the department of Essonne south of Paris, where a minor was arrested for throwing a bottle of acid at a police officer. The officer didn’t require hospital treatment. The violence comes as a viral video has caused major controversy in France. In the video, a 19-year-old male called for a “purge” against police officers on Halloween night, making reference to the American horror franchise that depicts a dystopian future, in which an annual 12-hour period allows for citizens to implement their own ‘justice’ and violence. While the individual has since said that his posts were intended as a joke, he was arrested on Monday, and authorities condemned his promotion of violence. The Lyon prefecture, however, insists that Wednesday’s violence has no proven link to the call for a purge. Interior Minister Christophe Castaner was quoted by France Info as saying that the violence was less serious than last year’s Halloween as 15,000 extra police officers were been deployed across the country. +++ MANDATORY ONSCREEN COURTESY: Julien Danboise/ LyonMag+++ Three videos show police firing tear gas near the Place Bellecour and young people charging through the street while some throw fireworks at another group.