Ahead of the Paris Olympics, police clear a migrant camp near City Hall
PARIS (AP) — French police evicted migrants from a makeshift tent-camp next to Paris City Hall early on Tuesday, the latest clear-out of people without homes that aid groups allege is a campaign to beautify the French capital ahead of the Summer Olympics.
In an operation that began before dawn, police woke around 100 teenage boys and young men from West Africa, telling them to pack their tents and belongings.
Paris police said the operation was carried out for security reasons, notably because the camp was near schools.
Paris-region officials told the men — many of them minors and in the process of seeking residency papers — that they could be housed temporarily for three weeks in the Loire-region town of Angers if they wished. A bus was waiting in a nearby street to take them first to a Paris-region transit center.
Only two or three men boarded the bus. Most of the others walked away, carrying their belongings. Some said they feared being left isolated and abandoned in Angers, 250 kilometers (150 miles) southwest of the French capital, once the three weeks of temporary accommodation run out.
Related articles
In unusual push, funders band together to get out grants around election work 'early'
A small portion of the billions spent around the November election will go to nonprofits working to2024-05-01Wesley Bryan has a big finish to restore lead at Puntacana on the PGA Tour
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic (AP) — Wesley Bryan went from comfortably leading at the start to nee2024-05-01A politician running for mayor in northern Mexico is killed, the 16th hopeful slain over June vote
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A mayoral candidate in a northern Mexico border state was killed on Friday, the 12024-05-01Iowa lawmakers approve bill just in time to increase compensation for Boy Scout abuse victims
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa men who were victims of child sexual molestation while they were in the2024-05-01Iran commutes a tycoon's death sentence to 20 years in prison
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s judiciary said Tuesday that it commuted a death sentence for a tycoon to2024-05-01Wondrous Xinjiang: Xinjiang's mobile bazaar blooms ahead
URUMQI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Amid joyful music, vendors enthusiastically peddled goods like nuts, ja2024-05-01
atest comment