French police hurt in clashes with Corsican nationalists
Four police officers have been injured after clashing with dozens of masked Corsican nationalists on the Mediterranean island.
There was unrest in Bastia, north eastern Corsica on Wednesday night as several dozen young Corsican nationalists staged violent demonstrations.
Youths were filmed hurling Molotov cocktails and other missiles at police, while others torched garbage on the street.
One parked car was reportedly set ablaze.
Les affrontements se poursuivent sur la place du marché #Bastia pic.twitter.com/Ua7exd5rmM
— Julian Mattei (@JulianMattei) October 5, 2016
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve condemned "in the strongest possible terms the damages and the unacceptable violence", he said in a statement.
Despite the violence on the streets, police made no arrests, and order was restored at around 11pm, the interior ministry said.
Échauffourées #bastia centre ville pic.twitter.com/o8yBv70yxi
— Frédéric Danesi (@Fred_Danesi) October 5, 2016
The youths were protesting the trial of three members of their entourage, who are facing a Parisian court for their alleged involvement in an attack on a police station in 2012.
The prosecutor had requested up to eight years of prison for the three men, who are all members of Corsican youth separatist movement Ghjuventù Indipendentista (Youth independence).
Often violent conflicts have rocked Corsica ever since the 1970s. Some nationalists are pushing for a closed Corsica with no foreigners, while others just want independence for an island that has always been dominated by others.
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There was unrest in Bastia, north eastern Corsica on Wednesday night as several dozen young Corsican nationalists staged violent demonstrations.
Youths were filmed hurling Molotov cocktails and other missiles at police, while others torched garbage on the street.
One parked car was reportedly set ablaze.
Les affrontements se poursuivent sur la place du marché #Bastia pic.twitter.com/Ua7exd5rmM
— Julian Mattei (@JulianMattei) October 5, 2016
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve condemned "in the strongest possible terms the damages and the unacceptable violence", he said in a statement.
Despite the violence on the streets, police made no arrests, and order was restored at around 11pm, the interior ministry said.
Échauffourées #bastia centre ville pic.twitter.com/o8yBv70yxi
— Frédéric Danesi (@Fred_Danesi) October 5, 2016
The youths were protesting the trial of three members of their entourage, who are facing a Parisian court for their alleged involvement in an attack on a police station in 2012.
The prosecutor had requested up to eight years of prison for the three men, who are all members of Corsican youth separatist movement Ghjuventù Indipendentista (Youth independence).
Often violent conflicts have rocked Corsica ever since the 1970s. Some nationalists are pushing for a closed Corsica with no foreigners, while others just want independence for an island that has always been dominated by others.
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