French riot police fired tear gas at activists protesting as part of global climate demonstrations Sunday, on the eve of the COP21 climate summit in Paris, NBC News reported.
About 200 protesters, some wearing masks, fought with police on a street leading to the Place de la Republique, which has become a gathering place for Parisians since the terror attacks on Nov. 13.
Video on social media showed armored police dispersing the crowd, which were warned not to gather amid the state of emergency, and canisters of tear gas being deployed.
Thousands of shoes — including a pair from the pope — were arranged at the Place de la Republique to represent activists who could not participate due to the ban on large gatherings. Organizers said they had collected more than 11,000 pairs of shoes.
More than 2,100 events worldwide were planned for the Global Climate March, which organizers say is one of the largest climate change protests in history.
