French activists slam govt. colonialism rally ban

French activists have condemned a recent government ban on a planned rally against the country’s colonialism and racism.

The activists were not permitted to hold their annual march in Paris after the event was banned by the interior minister.

“Even with (former French President Jacques) Chirac and his France-Africa summits, even under (former French President Nikolas) Sarkozy, never ever they prevented people to demonstrate at the Place of the Republic (Square). This is a real problem for the democracy with this government,” one of the demonstrators said.

A huge police force prevented demonstrators from taking to the streets of the capital for their annual anti-colonial march.

“It’s political colonialism. They play political games. We are independent, so to speak. But there is no real independence, because we cannot decide anything about our fate, and that means that we are still colonized,” another protester said.

The decision to ban the event was made by French Interior Minister Manuel Valls.

They also condemned French military intervention in Mali and the Central African Republic and called for the withdrawal of French troops from Africa.

A female demonstrator said, “In France, there is still a current that never accepts the reality; that the French empire doesn’t exist anymore. France remains the second maritime empire thanks to its colonies. What actually happens in Africa is pure new colonialism.”