Police fired tear gas on protesters in Paris during an unauthorised demonstration against racial injustice and police violence.

The protest began peacefully at a courthouse in Paris as thousands gathered amidst global outrage over the death of George Floyd in the United States.

Floyd died last week after a police officer pressed his knee into the 46-year-old man’s neck for several minutes despite his cries of distress.

Protests against racism and police violence have spread throughout US cities in the past week and recently have come to several European countries including the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands.

Protests in France also demanded justice for Adama Traoré, a French black man who died in police custody in 2016. Protesters in Paris threw projectiles and lit small fires.