Paris Gare de Lyon: Fire at Station Amid DR Congo Concert Protest

Paris Gare de Lyon: Fire at Station Amid DR Congo Concert Protest
Paris Gare de Lyon: Fire at Station Amid DR Congo Concert Protest

Following a fire that broke out in Gare de Lyon train station in southeast Paris, police ordered the people to evacuate the place. The leading cause of the fire is scooters and dustbins angry demonstrators set ablaze. The demonstrations were because the protestors were unhappy following Fally Ipupa’s concert in Paris. The concert was to take place on Friday evening in AccorHotels near Gare de Lyon bounced.

Demonstrations and the president

They angered the demonstrators with the Congolese government for they felt the president was too close to the singer. The president who had been elected just a year ago now had controversies with the opponents. Willy Dendebe voiced out that the Congolese government with its music is bringing people to their side who rape women and children. Hence the uprising.

“The concert by the Congolese artist Fally Ipupa is taking place in a particularly tense political context between partisans and opponents of the current regime in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This musical event has sparked a growing mobilization on social media with notably, several calls for protests near the concert hall with the intention of clashing with concertgoers, “said police.

Nonetheless, despite an earlier ban by the police of not engaging in the alleged protests to disrupt the ban, the protestors took to the violence. They even blocked the emergency forces from battling the blazes. As such, there were promising flames and huge dark smoke from the station. Paris police rebuked the demonstrators for portraying such unacceptable violence. However, the situation was finally at hand as the firefighters managed to put out the flames. Photos from the scene revealed the clock from the station covered in smoke as people rushed away for their life. It was more of like a pandemonium.

The impacts of the violence

Other than preventing the concert from pushing through, it halted several activities too. They disrupted the services in the station. Suburban and metro train services were halted and suspended, respectively. This act of lawlessness was ugly as traffic was locked in every corner. The protestors threw anything at the police and firefighters while some kept lighting fire on everything else. Especially with the presence of visitors since it was a fashion weak, it was a bad show.

What about Congolese members of the diaspora (protestors)?

The media reported that this group of Congolese enthusiasts were from other European cities; London, Brussels, and Vienna. These groups of enthusiasts for years have condemned musicians too close to their presidents. Hence have resolved to a direct ban preventing them from performing in Europe. As such they hinder them from making much money.Ten years down the line, members of these protests would create chaotic scenes for such musicians and even beat them up on several occasions. However, Fally Ipupa is the first artist to defy the rule since he has had concerts in Europe. As such, members of the diaspora (protestors) feel challenged and unhappy about it.

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