scuffles in front of the CRS barracks in Furiani in Corsica

“French State assassin”, chant the demonstrators who rush to the gates of the barracks of CRS in Furiani, near Bastia. They hang Corsican flags or Corsican National Liberation Front (FLNC), a portrait of Yvan Colonna.

Ongoing clashes in front of the CRS cantonment of #Furiani #Corsica @franceinfo pic.twitter.com/zEwJBkZaVJ

— B. Illy (@BenjaminIlly) March 27, 2022

More than 500 people gathered on Sunday March 27 at the call of Corsican independence organizations. An unauthenticated video of about ten seconds published on social networks, provokes the indignation and the anger of the demonstrators. They accuse the CRS of having a barbecue and singing the Marseillaise during the funeral of Yvan Colonna. Nothing at this stage proves these accusations but it rekindles tensions in Corsica, while calm has returned to the island in recent days.

In the crowd, families, the elderly, demonstrators in fatigues, others in hoods. Some cling to the gates of the CRS barracks, try to get through. Insults are hurled: “It’s bastards”. Threats too: “You have to kill them“.

A little later, a French flag burns. The CRS respond by throwing tear gas canisters. “We didn’t do anything wrong. We were at the fence, that’s all. Don’t shoot. They bombed us there”, protests a woman.

“It’s a shame what they did. President Macron dared to say that it was a mistake to have lowered the French flag [après le décès d’Yvan Colonna] but them it’s not a shame what they did? protested a very angry demonstrator. Calmer, a man seems resigned: “I have the impression that, on both sides, nobody wants to put water in their wine“.

It could only end like this

a demonstrator in front of the CRS barracks in Furiani

franceinfo

In a housing estate not far from the barracks, a 96-year-old man is walking. “I want to tell them to stay calm and that’s it. Violence leads to nothing”, he declares under the noise of tear gas canisters.