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The black man named Michel works as a music producer. French authorities are now investigating cases of racial abuse and violence against the man during a police investigation.
The incident was recorded on CCTV and circulated, sparking a public reaction.
The beating inside the entrance to a building was caught on CCTV footage and circulated online and made headlines on French television channels. (Also read: French and EU parliaments to push for sanctions on Turkey next month)
The alleged attack on Michel risks stirring up racial tensions that have been sparked by repeated allegations of police brutality against blacks and citizens. (See Infographic: Getting to Know Iglesia Maradoniana, Religion for Puja Maradona)
This conflict escalated after the death of black man George Floyd in Minneapolis, United States (US), in May that sparked the “BlackLivesMatter” movement around the world. (See Video: Rizieq Shihab being treated at Ummi Hospital, Bogor)
Paris police have faced criticism this week after social media photos and videos showed officers beating protesters as they cleaned up a campsite for illegal migrants in a central Paris square.
The music producer told reporters that he was jumped over by police at his studio in Paris’ 17th arrondissement on November 21.
He admits walking on the street without a mask violates French COVID-19 health protocols. After seeing the police car, he went to his nearby studio to avoid being fined. However, he said, the police followed him inside and began to racially assault and abuse him.
French Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) Gerald Darmanin said that officials would be sanctioned if the alleged wrongdoing did occur.
The incident comes amid controversy over a draft law (bill) that limits journalists’ ability to display images of French police officers at work.
Responding to protests and complaints from supporters of freedom of expression, the prime minister’s office said that they would form an independent commission tasked with proposing a new version of the law.
Several “BlackLivesMatter” protests broke out in Paris in June, a month after George Floyd’s death after a white police officer knelt on his neck in the street for nearly nine minutes while arresting him.
The anger generated by Floyd’s death resonates in France, particularly in the remote suburbs where police often clash with youths from ethnic minority backgrounds.
Protests in Paris in June focused on cases of people who died during police operations, such as Adama Traore, who died in police custody near Paris in 2016.
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