Paris Black Lives Matter protesters: 'Who protects us from the police?'

Paris is no stranger to demonstrations. The French capital has a long tradition of protest, of banner, flags, chants and crowds. But this one was different.

Often, Parisian protests are about party politics, or the economy. The last big violent demonstration here involved a blend of disaffected trade unionists, some angry Gilets Jaunes and a group of people who just wanted a clash with the police. Which they got.

That day, the tear gas was sprayed around and the police came under attack, before the violence stopped and the peaceful protest resumed. The tension, which reached a violent crescendo, fell away.

But this time, the tension lingers. Because the police weren't just monitoring this protest - but were also the focus of its anger.

As we watched the aftermath of clashes in Porte de Clichy, a sign caught my eye. It said "Qui nous protege de la police?" It translates, simply, as "who protects us from the police?" And it's a question that is now resonating in Europe, just as it reverberates in the United States.