Paris riot police used tear gas and fought back crowds who pushed their way onto Paris’ landmark Champs-Elysees avenue as part of a huge protest against a draft law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. (March 24)
SHOTLIST:
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Paris, France — March 24, 2013
1. Wide of riot police using tear gas sprays and pushing away protesters
2. Mid of protestors, some of them hooded and with masked shouting (French): “Freedom”
3. Mid of protestors pushing crowd towards police
4. Mid of protestors trying to prevent an arrest before being sprayed with tear gas
5. Protestors being sprayed with tear gas
6. Wide of a large line of riot police moving towards extreme-right demonstrators, beating them and using tear gas
7. Mid of extreme right activists, some of them hooded and masked
8. Mid of demonstrator showing his middle finger to camera
9. Mid shot of protesters
STORYLINE:
Paris riot police fought back crowds who pushed their way onto Paris’ landmark Champs-Elysees avenue as part of a huge protest against a draft law allowing same-sex couples to marry and adopt children.
The first few hours of the protest were peaceful, but as it was meant to be winding down about 100 young people tried to push past police barricades.
In an indication of the sensitivity of the issue, protesters had been barred from marching on the Champs-Elysees.
Police officers wrangled with the youths and then fired tear gas to force them back.
Gaining momentum, more and more protesters took side streets to reach the avenue, blocking a key intersection on the route to the president’s Elysee Palace.
“Freedom!” chanted some of the protesters.
An official with the Paris police headquarters said two people were arrested and no injuries were reported.
The police official was not authorized to be publicly named in accordance with police policy.
Hundreds of thousands of conservative activists, children, retirees, and priests converged on the capital Sunday in a last-ditch bid to stop the same-sex marriage bill, many bussed in from the French provinces.
The lower house of France’s parliament approved the “marriage for everyone” bill last month with a large majority, and it’s facing a vote in the Senate next month.
Both houses are dominated by French President Francois Hollande’s Socialist Party and its allies.
Sustained protests led by opposition conservatives in this traditionally Catholic country have eroded support for the draft law in recent months, and organizers hope Sunday’s march will weigh on the Senate debate.
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