Paris police officers suspended for beating of black musician
Black music producer was subjected to racial abuse
French authorities have sacked 3 police officers after they were captured in a video, beating up a black music producer in central Paris. The recent incident on Saturday has started a new debate over the misconduct of French security forces. Police on Monday were found exercising excessive force as they dislodged a makeshift migrant camp in Paris. The incident came at a time when the government is pushing for a Global Security Bill to bring in laws prohibiting the identification and broadcasting of police faces. Critics of the law say that without such images none of incidents which took place over the last week would have been uncovered discouraging the accountability of the law enforcement.
On Thursday, French football star Kylian Mbappe, who is black, teaming up with the fellow fraternity members and athletes to condemn the police brutality. “Unbearable video, unacceptable violence. Say no to racism,” he said in a tweet captioning the picture showing the bloodied face of the injured producer identified as Michel.
The security camera footage was published on Thursday by the online news website Loopsider. It records 3 police personnel kicking, punching and hitting the victims with their truncheons after he stepped in his studio. Loopsider said he had initially been stopped for not using a face-covering.
The music producer said he was also subjected to racist abuse during the five disturbing minutes. Michel was detained and charged with violence and resisting arrest but prosecutors removed the charges and instead initiated an investigation against the police for carrying out the racist abuse and unnecessary use of force. Upon arriving at police headquarters on Thursday with his lawyer to file a complaint, Michel told reporters: “People who should have been protecting me attacked me. I did nothing to deserve this. I just want these three people to be punished according to the law.”
Paris Police officers suspended from their jobs
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo stated she was proudly shocked by the intolerable act. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told French television that he would press for the officers involved in the incident to be dismissed, saying they had “soiled the uniform of the republic”. Earlier this week Darmanin ordered police to provide a full report after they violently dismantled makeshift migrant camp in Paris. He tweeted that some of the scenes were “shocking”.
