Clashes during white march tribute to Paul Tancre in Margny-lès-Compiègne
Tensions erupted between Travellers and police during a tribute to Paul Tancre, who died following a police chase. Two people were arrested, including the community mediator.
Tribute to Paul Tancre: clashes and arrests during white march in Oise
Several hundred people gathered on Sunday 6 September in Margny-lès-Compiègne to pay tribute to Paul Tancre, who died on 22 August following a police chase. According to france3-regions.franceinfo.fr, the white march was marked by severe tensions between members of the Traveller community and law enforcement.
Tear gas and arrests from the start
The procession was scheduled to depart at 14:00 from the town hall of Margny-lès-Compiègne. After speeches by the victim's two sisters and a community representative, a group of marchers attempted to cross barriers erected by law enforcement in front of the building. Police responded by deploying tear gas to disperse people pressing against the barriers.
Two people were arrested, including the Traveller community mediator. Shouts of "Police, racist", "You are scumbags" and "fascists" rang out. The marchers refused to continue until the two individuals were released. The procession eventually departed thirty minutes late, to chants of "Justice for Lapin" — Paul Tancre's nickname.
Who was Paul Tancre?
Paul Tancre, 46, father of four children, died during the night of 21 to 22 August on the D142 road, near Bienville, in Oise. His vehicle fled during a municipal police check before being involved in an accident. The driver, Paul Tancre, was killed on impact; his passenger was slightly injured.
The passenger and the two municipal police officers who were conducting the chase were initially taken into custody. The officer driving the police car was placed under investigation for "death by dangerous driving" on 24 August, then released and placed under judicial supervision. His colleague and Tancre's passenger were released at the end of their custody period.
Violence and convictions surrounding the funeral
On 26 August, during Paul Tancre's funeral, around forty masked individuals vandalised the post office, several shops and street furniture, and set fire to three cars in the city centre of Margny-lès-Compiègne. Two young people were arrested on 2 September and taken into custody. One of them admitted to the acts and was sentenced to nine months imprisonment with electronic monitoring.
The identity and address of the municipal police officer under investigation were also circulated online, which led to the opening of a separate inquiry.
Family demands the truth
The family had called for a demonstration "in calm, peace and respect" and requested support from "all Travellers in France to achieve justice". They denounce persistent gaps in the account, fifteen days after Paul Tancre's death.
"Everything is hidden. We are very angry. We cannot grieve without knowing what happened. At the morgue, his body was sealed. We were able to see part of his arm, surrounded by police. We learned by chance that he had undergone an autopsy. Nobody told us anything. We saw no doctor," said Fleurile, one of the victim's sisters.
His relatives are calling for a custodial sentence for the municipal police officer under investigation, whom they accuse of having "run over" Paul Tancre. "As long as he is free, our grief will not be complete. We want him to go to prison because my brother, he is in the cemetery," they added.
Family's lawyer points to gaps in investigation
The family's lawyer, maître Alexis Baudelin, judges the case insufficiently investigated. "This case is not clear. We want to know what happened during the police chase. Did the vehicles collide? How did Paul end up in the middle of the road whilst the car was in a ditch? Many questions still remain. This will require significant investigation time," he explained.
300 marchers to the cemetery
Accompanied by 250 police officers, approximately 300 people proceeded with music to the cemetery of the commune where Paul Tancre is buried. The tribute ended around 16:00, after wreaths were laid on the grave.
A judicial inquiry has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of the fatal accident on 22 August.
Source: Google News LU FR