Riot police knock elderly woman to the floor at Marseille protest

Riot police knock elderly woman to the floor at Marseille protest honouring woman, 80, killed when she was hit by a tear gas grenade during a French fuel tax demonstration turned violent

• Demonstrators have clashed with riot police in downtown area of Marseilles 
• Marching to honour Zineb Redouane, 80, killed after being hit by a tear gas grenade during fuel tax protests
• Police made two arrests after over one thousand people joined the march
• French has been hit by spate of protests over fuel tax rises, poor living conditions and anti-capitalist campaigners

French protestors have clashed with police on the streets of Marseille during a march in memory of an octogenarian killed during demonstrations in 2018.

Shocking footage from the protest yesterday shows an elderly woman being knocked to the ground by riot police as they swarm a group standing on the pavement.

Over one thousand people took part in the march yesterday afternoon, which was organised in memory of Zineb Redouane, an 80-year-old woman killed on the sidelines of last year’s fuel tax protests.

Standing at the window of her apartment just off of La Canebière near to where the protests were taking place, Zineb was hit in the face by shrapnel from a grenade while closing the shutters.

Over one thousand people took part in the march yesterday afternoon, in which two people were arrested following clashes with police

The march was organised in memory of Zineb Redouane, an 80-year-old woman killed on the sidelines of last year’s fuel tax protests

France has been hit by a spate of protests on a range of issues since the yellow vest movement first began in October 2018 in protest at rising fuel prices and a high cost of living

Zineb Redouane died in hospital the day after she was hit by a tear gas grenade while closing the shutters of her apartment window

She died in hospital the next day, reportedly of a heart attack.

Yesterday, hundreds stood behind a set of banners that passed her apartment on the way to Marseille’s Old Port area. 

Written on one were the words ‘tribute to Zineb’, and beneath the slogan ‘Batman kills, let’s be Joker’ (translated from French). 

‘We are all children of Zineb,’ also proclaimed the people in the procession, reported La Provence.

But the march turned ugly as the protestors were met by a strong police presence, with two arrests being made.

Yesterday, hundreds stood behind a set of banners that passed her apartment on the way to Marseille’s Old Port area. Written on one were the words ‘tribute to Zineb’, and beneath the slogan ‘Batman kills, let’s be Joker’

Shocking footage from the scene shows the officers use batons to push back the small groups as they launch gas grenades. It is not clear if this was tear gas

‘Odious #Marseille: Policemen violently jostle an old lady who was pulling her shopping cart and they abandoned it in the gas!!’ said one man sharing the video on social media

The conduct of French police officers has been brought into question by campaigners, who say officers across the country have been using excessive force during demonstrations

Shocking footage from the scene shows the officers use batons to push back the small groups as they launch gas grenades. It is not clear if this was tear gas.

Amid the chaos of police rushing the protestors, an elderly woman pulling a shopping bag is flattened by officers, who then hit a protestor who tries to help her to her feet.

‘Odious #Marseille: Policemen violently jostle an old lady who was pulling her shopping cart and they abandoned it in the gas!!’ said one man sharing the video on social media.

The duty commissioner for the area told La Provence of the protests: ‘Overall, everything went very well.’

France has been hit by a spate of protests on a range of issues since the yellow vest movement first began in October 2018 in protest at rising fuel prices and a high cost of living.

On Black Friday, activists staged sit-ins outside online retailer Amazon’s French headquarters and logistics center in Clichy, northwest of Paris, as an anti-capitalist protest.

Protests in Marseille, including the one during which Zineb died, have also focused on demands for safer housing.

President Macron has been criticised for disregarding the views of poorer people living outside of Paris in favour of providing tax cuts to the wealthy.

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