Thousands demand withdrawal of French troops from Niger (VIDEOS)
The African country’s military government accused Paris of “blatant interference” by backing the ousted president | Thousands of protesters gathered outside of the French military base in Niger’s capital, Niamey once again to demand the withdrawal of French forces from the country. The rally was sparked by a call from civic organizations that are opposed to the former colonial power’s military presence in the region. ● A series of smaller protests leading up to the weekend rally were “relatively calm and organized,” according to Al Jazeera. However, on Saturday, some of the activists were seen “breaking the barriers set up by the security forces, police and the military” and trying to force their way into the base, which houses around 1,500 soldiers. “French army, leave our country,” banners held by demonstrators in Niamey read.