Anti-road rage protests in France after cyclist run over and killed by SUV driver

Hundreds of people gathered in central Paris and at mairies around France on Saturday (October 19) to call for a crackdown on road rage after an SUV driver was accused of deliberately running over and killing a cyclist.

The protests, organised by cyclist groups Paris en selle, la Fédération française des usagers de la bicyclette and Mieux se déplacer à bicyclette, saw participants observe a minute of silence at 17:45 - the moment when 27-year-old Paul Varry died on October 16.

Mr Varry was in the cycle lane on boulevard Malesherbes in Paris when he was killed.

The driver was filmed by CCTV driving in the cycle lane for 200m before hitting Mr Varry, initially driving over his foot.

Mr Varry got off his bicycle, shouted and banged the car to alert the driver.

The driver then directed the vehicle at Mr Varry, and in what witnesses told France Info was a “deliberate act”, hit him with the SUV.

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“The post-mortem examination confirmed that the vehicle had driven over the body,” said Paris police, adding that the driver’s drug and alcohol tests were negative.

They are investigating the unnamed 52-year-old driver on a charge of murder.

“The legal qualification of murder is essential in this case. We are dealing with a deliberate act,” the lawyer for Mr Varry’s family told Franceinfo.

"Nobody can ignore the fact that, with a vehicle weighing more than two tonnes, hitting someone can only lead to death. In this case, the vehicle was used as a weapon", he added.

A minute of silence

Around 200 protesters, many of whom came by bicycle, gathered in central Paris to call for a crackdown on road rage and pay their respects to Mr Varry with a minute of silence.

“We need to protect the most vulnerable. Paul is no longer here, but we are,” said organiser Anne Monmarché, president of Paris en selle, an association that campaigns to improve cycling conditions.

Mr Varry had been an active member of the group.

"Motorised violence kills. We want the public authorities to really get to grips with the issue,” said Ms Monmarché.

Similar protests took place in front of mairies around France.

The groups are scheduled to broach the issue with Minister of Transport François Durovray on Monday (October 21).

“The idea is to listen to the proposals of the cyclist associations in a respectful way, so that we can work together to develop future policies,” announced Mr Durovray’s office.

The meeting will be used to help find a way to make cycling safer as part of the push towards "zero deaths", announced Paris en Selle spokeswoman Marion Soulet.

"This can't go on, it's unacceptable," said Ms Soulet. "We want to tell the minister that the fight against road deaths and deliberate violence must be a common objective."

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