Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Paris today (October 2) against the heavy presence of drug addicts, and a controversial wall built to prevent crack smokers from entering the city's suburb of Pantin.

The "Wall of Shame", "Mur de la Honte" in French, was built last Friday when authorities cleared the area from 50 drug users and walled a tunnel leading to the northeastern suburb of Pantin.

The measure is considered controversial by many members of the public, but according to Paris police chief Didier Lallement, it was necessary due to the presence of crack users near schools and the already precarious conditions of the suburb, one of the poorest in France.

The gathering started at the Stalingrad neighborhood in northeast Paris.

Footage shows people waving banners asking for more appropriate measures to protect students at school from falling into the trap of drug addiction.

Demo against the presence of drug addicts in the north of Paris and above all against the wall of shame (in french: Mur de la honte) erected to separate the crackers from the inhabitants. The gathering starts at Stalingrad (pejoratively called Stalincrack).2oct2021.14h