PARIS (Reuters). Emmanuel Macron, who condemned as “unforgivable crimes” a Paris police crackdown against Algerian protestors 60 years ago. This was the most explicit recognition of a French president for a massacre that saw many bodies thrown into River Seine.

The police responded to a demonstration of 25,000 pro-National Liberation Front Algerians (FLN) Algerians, who were protesting against a curfew imposed by Paris on Algerians, and attacked the demonstrators.

Macron’s office stated in a statement that the march was stopped “brutally and violently” and added that 12,000 Algerians had been arrested. Many were also wounded, and many people were killed.

Macron was present at a commemoration ceremony at Bezons Bridge, west Paris. This bridge is where the march of some Algerians began and many bodies were found from the Seine.

According to the Elysee Palace statement, “He acknowledged the facts: The crimes that were committed on that night under Maurice Ponton’s authority are unjustifiable for the Republic.”

French authorities long denied the massacre that took place in Algeria during war against French colonial rule. Paris’ mayor organised the first commemorations in 2001.

Although it was impossible to establish the precise number of victims, some historians have put it at around 200.

This year’s Commemoration takes place amid tensions diplomatic between Paris and Algiers.

In early April, Algeria recalls its ambassador to Paris. Macron was quoted as saying that Macron’s comments had been attributed to Macron. Macron said in Le Monde that Algeria’s rulers had “rewritten” the history of colonization based on France hatred.