Violent clashes broke out for a second day in Paris on Saturday between police and supporters of the PKK terrorist group, resulting in at least 31 French police officers injured, police chief Laurent Nunez said on Saturday.
Having gathered at the central Place de la Republique at around 2:00 p.m. local time (1300 GMT), thousands of supporters of the terrorist group then marched to the Boulevard du Temple chanting pro-PKK slogans and carrying posters of the terrorist group's so-called leaders.
They then ripped off the paving stones and threw them at the police, nearby houses, and shops. The attackers also turned the scene into a battlefield with fireworks and sparklers, destroying the bus stops.
Speaking to local broadcaster BFM TV, Nunez said at least 31 security personnel were injured, along with one protester. There had been 11 arrests, he added.
The intervention by police at the scene was rather limited and they occasionally used tear gas against the attackers.
On Friday, a 69-year-old gunman in Paris opened fire at a Kurdish cultural center, killing at least three people and injuring three others. He was placed in custody after he fired gunshots on Enghien Street in the city center.
The shots at the cultural center and a nearby hairdressing salon on Friday sparked panic in the city's bustling 10th district, home to several shops and restaurants and a large Kurdish population.
Three others were wounded in the attack that the suspect told investigators was attributable to his being "racist", a source close to the case said.
Suspected racist motivations behind the attack will be investigated, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said.
Following the incident, supporters of the PKK terrorist organization wounded at least six police officers in Paris on Friday, according to local media.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and European Union, has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.
Türkiye has been frequently voicing concerns over European countries' tolerance toward the PKK, however, the terrorist organization still maintains a strong presence in the region, being able to hold rallies and engage in recruitment activities.
The EU's law enforcement agency Europol classified the PKK as an "ethno-nationalist" and "separatist" terrorist group, saying in its 2020 and 2021 reports that the group still uses European countries for propaganda, recruitment and fundraising activities, even though in most of it is officially banned.
Also, supporters of the PKK terrorist group on Saturday disrupted peace and clashed with police in London.
Gathering in front of the French Embassy in London, a group of the terror group's supporters chanted slogans against Türkiye and France over Friday's shooting in Paris.
The terror group supporters, also marched toward the Turkish Embassy in London, carrying banners that read "Freedom for Öcalan," referring to jailed terrorist ringleader Abdullah Öcalan, who is serving a life sentence.
The protesters also caused traffic disruptions as they marched through central London on a day when people rushed around for last-minute Christmas shopping.
When they arrived in front of the Turkish Embassy, a clash between terror supporters and police took place after one of them threw a most likely stone toward the embassy building.
They also chanted slogans including "revenge" and "no justice, no peace."
Türkiye's Presidential Spokesperson Ibrahim Kalın on Sunday shared footage from Paris and wrote in a Twitter message that "This is PKK in France. The same terrorist organization you support in Syria. The same PKK that has killed thousands of Turks, Kurds & security forces over the last 40 years. Now they are burning the streets of Paris. Will you still remain silent?"
These developments emerged as a clue that the patronage of terrorist organizations in Europe due to anti-Türkiye sentiment would eventually cause great troubles for the continent, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Spokesperson Ömer Çelik also said Sunday.