Kurdish activists, left-wing politicians and anti-racism groups are organizing a new demonstration in Paris on Christmas Eve, the day after the attack on a Kurdish cultural center.

Three people were killed in the attack, which prosecutors believe was racially motivated. And on Saturday, a source close to the case said the man who was arrested himself says he is a racist, and thus staged the attack.

The 69-year-old accused shot and killed three people, while wounding three others.

After a mass shooting in Paris on Friday, major riots broke out in the French capital.

Several thousand people gathered on Saturday in Place de la Republique, east of the French capital. They waved different flags for groups fighting for Kurdish rights, political parties and other fan issues.

The demonstration was largely peaceful, but some youths backed the police and threw objects. The police responded with tear gas.

The city’s police chief met with representatives of the Kurdish community in Paris on Saturday and tried to calm the unrest. The attack on the cultural center – as well as on a restaurant and hair salon – shook Kurdish society. The police stepped up their preparations over the Christmas holidays.

Home Secretary Gerald Darmanin was quick to say that the perpetrator was clearly targeting foreigners. The 69-year-old accused was previously convicted of violating the Weapons and Violence Act.

He is also accused of racially motivated violence for attacking at least two migrants with a knife at a camp in Paris last December. This case has not yet been dealt with in court.

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Massive riots in Paris after three people were killed in a shooting