Around 80 ultra-right activists marched on Saturday evening in the streets of the popular Monnaie district in Romans-sur-Isère after the death of Thomas in Crépol, we learned from reliable sources. The police arrested 20 people, 17 of whom were taken into custody “following violence against the police,” the Drôme prefecture told AFP.
“Around 6 p.m., 80 individuals tried to enter the Monnaie district to fight and confronted the police,” according to the same source, which specifies that the clashes occurred outside this sensitive district. Fireworks mortars were fired, trash cans deployed to prevent the incident, but nothing was set on fire, a police source said. “The situation has calmed down but we remain under close surveillance,” underlined the prefecture. “This had been anticipated in the afternoon and the minister had issued very strict instructions,” said Gérald Darmanin’s entourage.
Hooded and dressed in black
The activists, hooded and dressed in black, marched through the streets behind a banner “Justice for Thomas, neither forgiveness nor forgetting”, chanting “The street, France, belongs to us”, according to images posted on social networks by the ultra-right.
This parade coincides with the presentation to the Valencia prosecutor’s office of the young suspects accused of having participated in the violence which led to Thomas’ death. Nine suspects were arrested this week, including a 20-year-old believed to be the perpetrator of the fatal blows.
The ultra-right, which has been leading a virulent campaign on social networks since the tragedy, has also broadcast images of “spontaneous processions in tribute to Thomas with French flags”, filmed according to them in Valencia on Friday evening. A banned ultra-right demonstration in Lyon led to an arrest Thursday evening, according to the Rhône prefecture.