In Marseille, the Democratic Kurdish Community Center (DKTM), at least six private residences and a store have been raided and searched on Tuesday. The search in the association and in the adjacent store lasted four hours. The front door was forcibly broken open by French police. A police dog was used during the search.

At least nine people were detained during the searches of private residences. The people concerned are Kurdish activists and members of the DKTM. Some apartment doors were also broken open, and property damage was caused.

During the raid on the Kurdish Community Center, Kurds from Marseille protested in front of the building, blocking the street. As more and more people arrived, the police stopped the searches in the center. A protest rally has been announced for 2 p.m. in front of the governor's office in Marseille.

At the same time as the searches in Marseille, raids have taken place in Paris and Draguignan. A Kurdish youth was detained in Paris, and two people in Draguignan.

The background of the measure is not known. The police raids came following the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and French President Emmanuel Macron in early March.