Скачать или смотреть France Protests: Extinction Rebellion Protesters Sprayed With Tear Gas In Paris

French police drew heavy criticism on Monday after officers were filmed spraying climate activists in the face with teargas during a Paris sit-in last week.

A video shared on Twitter and since widely broadcasted on news channels shows at least two officers spraying protesters with teargas at close range, while the demonstrators try to shield their faces, boo the police and shout "non-violent!"

The officers are then seen dragging the protesters away one by one.

On Monday, the Paris prosecutor launched a preliminary probe that was to be handled by the police department's internal investigation unit, the IGPN.

The Paris police department said officers had intervened to stop the protesters blocking traffic and that the demonstrators had been ordered "several times" to disperse. It said two people were arrested.

Images of the standoff caused an outcry both at home and abroad, with Sweden's teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg tweeting a link to the video with the words: "Watch this video and ask yourself; who is defending who?"

Launched in Britain, Extinction Rebellion organises acts of civil disobedience to draw attention to climate warming. Last month, the group took part in the blockade of an open-pit coal mine in Germany.

Several French politicians condemned the treatment of the protesters in Paris.

"It's outrageous to have young people who are fighting for our climate, who are fighting for our future... and the government's only reaction is to not act and to teargas them," Yannick Jadot, a Greens member of the European Parliament, told BFM news channel.

But Environment Minister Francois de Rugy, himself a former environmental activist, described the protesters as "very radical" and justified the use of teargas "to get people to leave" the area.

Over the past year, Macron has come under growing criticism over what activists see as his failure to keep a 2017 promise to "make our planet great again".

The French police have also been heavily criticised for their tactics during six months of weekly protests by anti-government "yellow vest" demonstrators.

Officers have been unable to stop crowds ransacking buildings and businesses while drawing blame themselves for a spate of serious injuries caused by their use of rubber bullets and stun grenades.

Do you think police using teargas is a reasonable response to protesters blocking traffic? Vote in our online news poll and help lobby governments: http://bit.ly/activistsfrance

Stay connected with issues affecting mankind:
Social media with a conscience: https://sevenbilliontoday.com/community
Facebook: @sevenbilliontoday
Twitter: @7billiontoday
Instagram: @7_billiontoday