Black people in France feel racism all around
The shocking footage of a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd has been viewed millions of times and continues to be the driving force behind anti-racism rallies around the world.
While the white ex-police officer, Derek Chauvin, awaits his trial for second-degree murder in the U.S., stories of everyday racism faced within black and ethnic communities are now being heard.
Mathilla Diagana lives in northern France, she's thousands of miles from Minneapolis, but says what happened to Floyd is deeply personal for her.
"I imagine his head being squashed on the ground, his neck, his breathing... It's horrible, the way he shouts... I can't understand how it's possible for someone to do this."
Along with many others, Mathilla has taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest against everyday discrimination she and others have suffered.
Claudia Koubassana is one of her friends.
"You can't find somewhere to live, if on your CV you put your photograph they'll refuse us, exactly, and also when they look at your family name... the family name is a killer."
Carole is 51-years-old and moved to France as a child from Cameroon.
She felt compelled to attend a "Black Lives Matter" demonstration in Paris last Saturday (June 13) with her two sons.
George Floyd’s murder resonated with her, as did the killing of another black victim Adama Traore - a Frenchman who died in police custody in 2016.
“I'm scared for everyone. As black people, we're scared, we're scared and we tell ourselves that it happens all the time."
Carole fears something similar could happen to her children if they were also to be in a situation with mainly white officers.
She said she’s constantly briefing her sons about how to behave if they are stopped by police.
