The City of Lights is lit by flames, yet again, as rioters – and the Chinese government – react to the killing of a Chinese man in his home by Paris police during an incident from which conflicting reports have emerged.
Between 100 and 200 protestors, reportedly mostly from the local Chinese community, clashed with riot police on Monday night, launching projectiles and burning cars in the melee.
Brut reporter Remy Buisine posted video of the chaos and commented, “Very tense situation between the forces of order in front of the police station and 200 protesters.”
Paris – Situation tres tendue entre les forces de l'ordre devant le commissariat et 200 manifestants. #mortdeLiuShaoyo pic.twitter.com/jchyTjuA8Z
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) March 27, 2017
Paris – Des affrontements toujours en cours dans les rues à proximité du commissariat du 19eme. Véhicule incendié. #mortdeLiuShaoyo pic.twitter.com/Kx7NBm802B
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) March 27, 2017
The local community asserts that the killing of Shaoyo Liu, 56, was unjustified, but contradictory narratives have muddied the waters regarding what transpired leading to the man’s death in front of his shocked family.
Law enforcement claim they were responding to complaints of a noise disturbance at the home of Liu, and upon arriving on the scene, he stabbed one of the officers with a knife before deadly force was initiated.
Liu’s daughter recounted a completely different series of events in a statement to China News.
“Around 8:00 pm, my sister heard a knock at the door. She looked at the hole in the door and saw two armed men and a woman.”
“My father, he came to the door with the scissors as he had to take care of the fish he was cooking. The knocking on the door became stronger and stronger. I shouted, ‘Calm down, make less noise,’ but nothing did it.”
“They smashed the door, the shot was gone and my father found himself on the ground.”
La police en action #mortdeLiuShaoyo pic.twitter.com/2rTRkmC0Vc
— Zhulin Zhang (@ZhangZhulin) March 27, 2017
The Chinese government has also reacted to the incident with outrage.
“In Beijing, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned a French diplomat to explain events,” Reuters reported. “It also sought a thorough investigation by French authorities and steps to be ensure the safety of Chinese citizens in France.”
These fiery riots come hot on the heels of civil unrest just weeks ago, as communists, anarchists and African migrants wreaked havoc on the city for many days, supposedly in response to police brutality inflicted upon a black Muslim man.
Paris, one of the most-visited cities in the world, was once the jewel of Europe, but due in large part to socialist policies and open borders, it has become the scene of constant unrest, blazing cars, terrorist attacks, Muslim no-go zones, warring ethnic factions, rampant crime of all varieties and homelessness.
Tourism to Paris, upon which the French economy relies heavily, is evaporating rapidly as travelers choose safer, more desirable destinations.
“The latest data from the UN’s World Tourism Organization show international visitor numbers to France fell by about 5% in the first nine months of 2016,” CNN Money reported. “Traveler spending in the country also slumped 6.6% in 2016 following a drop of 5.4% in 2015, according to preliminary data from the UNWTO.
“Spending in 2016 is expected to be significantly lower than its recent peak of $58 billion in 2014.”
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