Thousands of Africans took to the streets of Paris over the weekend to call for the regularization of illegal migrants in France.
The demonstration, despite being banned by the Paris police prefecture to protect against the further spread of the Chinese coronavirus, went ahead anyway, with several thousand people showing up to march in the streets, Valeurs Actuelles reports.
In the region of Île-de-France, France’s most populated region, cases of COVID-19 remain sky high. For that reason, public gatherings of more than 10 people are still prohibited.
Despite the ban, several thousand demonstrators showed up anyway and participated in the so-called “march of solidarity”.
Additionally, some 210 organization and 300 personalities showed up alongside the demonstrators, according to posts made on social media. Protestors called for the regularization of illegal migrants, a review of French migration policies, and demanded that administrative detention centers be closed.