World

COP21: Rallies call for Paris climate change action

November 29, 2015 4:30 pm

Hundreds of thousands of people are marching worldwide to demand action to stop climate change, but one protest in Paris was marred by violence.

More than 2,000 events are happening globally on the eve of a UN summit in the French capital.

In Paris, police fired tear gas at a large group of demonstrators gathered in the Place de la Republique.

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Our correspondent says the group was apparently protesting against France’s state of emergency.

The order, banning public gatherings, was put into place after the 13 November attacks in the city, in which 130 people died.

Many of those involved in the clashes wore masks or covered their faces. Images showed protesters and police walking over candles and tributes left for the attack victims at a makeshift memorial.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls tweeted (in French) that the clashes were “undignified” and showed a lack respect to the memorial.

Nicholas Haeringer, of the campaign group 350.org, said protests should still be allowed to continue, adding that campaigners would “stand against any attempts by the French authorities to use the incidents this afternoon to unnecessarily clamp down on civil liberties”.