France commemorates the 1961 massacre of Algerians in Paris

By ARNO PEDRAM and SYLVIE CORBET
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — Hundreds of people, including Algerian protesters and their descendants, are commemorating the 60th anniversary of a bloody police crackdown in Paris during the final year of Algeria’s independence war with its colonial power. A tribute march was organized in Paris to remember the Oct. 17, 1961 massacre of Algerians, which French authorities have sought to cover up for decades. The commemoration comes after French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that the “crimes” committed on Oct. 17, 1961 were “inexcusable for the Republic.” Historians say at least 120 protesters were killed, some shot and others drowned in the Seine River. The exact number has never been established as French archives remain partially closed.