Protesters clashed with police in Paris during protests after three people were shot dead at a Kurdish cultural center.
Kurdish activists, left-wing politicians and anti-racism groups took to the streets of the French capital to protest the shooting, which was allegedly racially motivated.
Three other people were injured in the attackand concerns about hate crimes in the country have arisen as a result.
A 69-year-old man known to authorities has been arrested for the incident and faces potential charges of murder and attempted murder with a racist motive, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
He was injured in the shooting and is in custody.
Thousands of people gathered in Place de la Republique in eastern Paris on Christmas Eve, waving a series of flags representing Kurdish rights groups, political parties and other causes.
The rally was largely peaceful, but some youths threw projectiles and skirmished with police firing tear gas, while others shouted slogans against the Turkish government.
Some protesters managed to overturn a police car.
The Kurdish community has been shaken by the attack, with police seeking to allay their fears by putting officers on extra alert for the Christmas weekend.
Friday’s attack happened at the cultural center and at a nearby restaurant and hair salon, with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin saying the suspect was clearly targeting foreigners.
Kurdish activists said they had recently been warned by the police about threats against Kurdish sites.
In 2013, three Kurdish activists, including Sakine Cansiz, founder of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, were found shot dead in Paris.