In the early hours of Monday morning riots erupted in Paris over the “heavy handed” tactics by police over the coronavirus lockdown.
Ethnic minorities have accused the French police for their alleged “heavy handed” treatment during the lockdown and riots broke after a man was critically injured in a collision with a police car.
Police in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, northern Paris fired tear gas and baton charges and rioters fire fireworks at the police.
Videos on social media show armed police moving through the area and “stones and fireworks” can be seen flying in all directions.
A film on social media has come to light showing police manhandling a French journalist Taha Bouhafs as they were holding his arms behind his back.
The journalist who is from an Algerian background had filmed police firing tear gas after they were hit by numerous fireworks.
Tensions en cours ce soir à #VilleneuveLaGarenne. pic.twitter.com/unQejtbl8N
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) April 19, 2020
The protests started after prosecution started an enquiry into a 30-year old man who was critically injured in a collision with his motorcycle and an unmarked police car.
The man was “very badly injured, and comes from an Arab Muslim background,” a source close to the case said.
He added, “He is critical in hospital, and people in the area have reacted very badly to what has happened.”
A local police spokesman said, “Police and their reinforcements have been the target of rioters, who have thrown stones and fireworks.
“The violence started in Villeneuve-la-Garenne and has spread to other towns and estates nearby.”
Prosecutors in the Beziers said the police officers are looking at criminal charges for a separate incident that happened last week.
La situation se tend à #VilleneuveLaGarenne, intervention des forces de l’ordre. Utilisation de gaz lacrymogènes. pic.twitter.com/VEYQqHwgdI
— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) April 19, 2020
A father of three died whilst under arrest for breaching the lockdown in France, and the officers are facing serious “manslaughter charges.”
The police were videoed dragging the man on the ground during the lockdown curfew.
The police are suspected of “intentional violence by a public official leading to manslaughter,” along with “non assistance of a person in danger.” Which could lead to over 15-years in prison.
France’s Human Rights League spokesman described the death of Mohamed Gabsi, 33, as a “scandal that shows how the poor are being killed” by the coronavirus lockdown.
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