Thousands march for Adama Traore in Paris

Thousands marched in Paris Saturday to mark the fourth anniversary of the death of a black man in police custody in the French capital.

Adama Traore’s death in July 2016 sparked broad fury against police brutality and racial injustice in France.

“My brother withstood the weight of those three gendarmes for nine minutes. Today we are insisting, we are asking that the facts be recategorised as voluntary homicide. They willingly killed Adama. They decided that Adama Traore would die, that he would die on his 24th birthday. No man, no person should die in this way, dying at 24 years old. Today we denounce police impunity in the death of Adama Traoré. Police impunity in France. We denounce racial violence. We denounce social violence”, Activist and sister of Adama Traore, Assa Traore said.

The protest in Beaumont-sur-Oise is also about the larger issue of anti-government grievances, and climate activists are co-organizing this year’s protest.

Saturday’s march was the result of years of community organization by the Traoré family.

Undocumented migrants, climate activists and yellow vest protesters for economic justice were among those who took part, under the rallying cry “we want to breathe.”

According to a nationwide tally by news website Basta Mag, at least 101 police-related fatalities are under investigation in France.