Chinese Community in Paris Riot After Police Fatally Shoot Man in His Home

March 28, 2017

On Sunday, Paris police fatally shot 56-year-old Shaoyo Liu at his home in front of his family, sparking riots that left three officers injured and got 35 demonstrators arrested.

Police said that officers from the anti-crime brigade arrived at Liu’s home on Sunday night after receiving a call from a neighbor to deal with a dispute between the man and his family, according to Le Monde.

When they entered the apartment, the man reportedly lunged at a policeman with a blade, and that’s when a colleague opened fire in self defense, killing Liu.

But Calvin Job, a lawyer for his family, told the French paper that there was no family dispute.

“He had scissors because he was scaling the fish, he was preparing dinner,” Job said. “The police opened the door and the first policeman opened fire without warning. One of his daughters said it happened within two seconds. And she says her father did not touch the police.”

Meanwhile, the Chinese community in Paris is demanding answers.

More than 100 people began protesting outside of a police headquarters in the city’s Chinatown district on Monday, with some people throwing projectiles and burning cars, according to Shanghaiist.

Police used batons and launched tear gas to disperse the protesters, leaving one Chinese man injured and 35 other people arrested.

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The three officers caught in the riots have been treated for minor injuries.

Violent clashes between protesters and police have gone viral on video streaming sites in China and social media, including Twitter.

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China’s foreign ministry summoned a French diplomat on Tuesday to explain what had happened, seeking a thorough investigation by authorities and ensuring the safety of members of the Chinese community in France, according to Channel NewsAsia.

An inquiry into Liu’s death is underway, the French foreign ministry confirmed in a statement, adding that the security of citizens of Chinese descent in France was a top priority for authorities.

“Additional (security) measures have been taken in recent months and everything has been done to provide them with the best conditions for living here and for their security,” it said.

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