“Black smoke has invaded the side of the Gare de Lyon”. This is the first image that Dijonnais Kévin Cormillot will remember of his return to the city of the dukes on Friday evening.
It is then almost 6 pm. Kevin doesn’t know it yet, but violent incidents have just broken out around the Paris train station. The cause ? Prohibited demonstration by opponents to the concert of the Congolese star Fally Ipupa in Bercy. Indeed, the artist is an assumed supporter of the regime in place in the Congo, which displeases part of the Congolese diaspora. In total, these incidents will be marked by several fires and 54 arrests.
Coming back from the Agriculture Show, Kévin Cormillot says: “My train was scheduled for 6:52 pm. I arrived at the Gare de Lyon well in advance, around 5:50 pm or 6 pm and it was there that the fire started. I thought it was a fire from the Mercure hotel on the side of the station. Like many people, I made photos and videos of what was going on. “
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It was then that the station was evacuated. Kevin continues his story: ” The minutes pass, then I begin to hear the sounds of trumpets, horns … I told myself that there must be a demonstration against the government. Friends then sent me links by Messenger to tell me that it was Congolese who burned vehicles … “
Incidents and fires finally quickly brought under control which enabled the Dijonnais to be able to board his TGV at 18:52 as planned.
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