On the morning of March 18, Paris police carried out a large-scale operation to evict hundreds of migrants who had been illegally residing in the Lyric Opera theater in the city center.
According to BFMTV, law enforcement officers arrived at the scene around 5 a.m. and began clearing the theater, where young migrants had been staying for more than three months. The operation met resistance as protesters gathered outside the building in an attempt to prevent the eviction.
Clashes with the police ensued, with tear gas being used. According to journalists, one person was injured. MP Danièle Simonnet condemned the police’s use of force.
Meanwhile, French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin stated that the intervention was legal, as the building had been occupied illegally and posed a threat to public order.
The eviction of the migrants had been announced by police the day before. In protest, several dozen people held a demonstration outside the opera house on the evening of March 17.
