According to the media outlet, about a hundred police officers were dispatched to the area after dozens of cars with ethnic Turks headed to Decines-Charpieu, which is home to the local Armenian community. Law enforcement officials inspected 19 cars and fined 65 people for violating COVID-19 quarantine measures. Order in the commune was restored by about 11pm local time (22:00 GMT Wednesday).
Representatives of both communities clashed throughout Wednesday in France's eastern department of Isere during a demonstration by the Armenian community in support of the self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh Republic. The participants have blocked traffic on the A7 motorway calling for the independence of the breakaway republic to be recognised. Clashes started when Turks came to the scene of the demonstration. Four people were injured during the confrontation.
A video allegedly recording the clashes on the night of 28-29 October has emerged online.
— Commissaires de police - SICP (@SICPCommissaire) October 28, 2020
The clashes come amid a fresh escalation in the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. In late September, Armenia and Azerbaijan accused each other of starting the military action. The international community strongly condemned the escalation and called on parties to settle the differences via talks. However, Turkey has pledged its full support for Azerbaijan.
Since the outbreak of hostilities last month, Armenian communities across the world have been holding peaceful demonstrations calling on the international community to recognise Nagorno-Karabakh as an independent nation in order to restore peace in the region.
