(Photo : Photo by Kiran Ridley/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 21: French Riot Police watch demonstrations against the French Government's newly passed Global Security law bill which makes it illegal to disseminate images that identify police at Place du Trocadéro on November 21, 2020 in Paris, France. On November 20 France's lawmakers passed and adopted the bill known as article 24 of the “comprehensive security” law prohibiting the dissemination of images of the police, alarming journalists and activists saying civil liberties and press freedom could be compromised. Several MPs have criticised the bill's implications and President Macron has come under fire from national journalism unions and the UN for the law and police accountability.
After videos showing officers repeatedly punching, using a truncheon, and tear gas, a man circulated, now the victim who claimed that he had been beaten several times by the French police is seeking justice for the assault he experienced for no apparent reason.
Officers involved in the said incident were ordered to get suspended by Gerald Darmanin, the French Interior Minister.
The said incident came as the government of President Emmanuel Macron now pushes a new bill which is putting restrictions on the ability to film police.
The move that is making by the French government has prompted protests from civil liberties groups and journalists who are concerned that it would give way to police brutality to go not only undiscovered but also unpunished.
Videos showing violent arrest were published on Thursday by a French news website, wherein the man was identified as Michel Zecler, a music producer. The latter has been arrested in the district of the French capital or 17th arrondissement on Saturday.
According to a report, the source's video images were from neighbors who were filming at that time. Another one from a security camera inside the studio shows three officers following the black man inside his music studio. They continuously punched him and beat him using a truncheon.
The black victim shared to the press that he feels good after the truth came out.
He also added that he wants to understand why he has been assaulted by individuals wearing a police uniform.
Zecler also emphasized that he wants justice as he believes in the justice of his country.
The black music producer also shared that the officers hurled repeated insults at him, involving a very strong racist epithet, NBC reported.
According to the New York Times, as of the moment, the victim still does not know the reason why police officers decided to arrest him, which resulted in injuries to his legs, forearms, and even his head.
Hafida El Ali, Zecler's lawyer, stated that his client asked the police officers if they wanted to check his identity. Still, the officers did not stop beating him, as the video which is captured inside the studio shows 12 minutes of violence.
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The lawyer also stressed the importance of the captured footage in her client's case.
According to the latest report, Zecler was taken into custody.
Eric Dupond-Moretti, the Justice Minister, shared during a television interview that he was scandalized by the images he saw, BBC News reported.
He also added that there are pacifist police, bakers, or lawyers, but it is not right to say the police are racist.
The French Interior Minister, Darmanin also tweeted that the body that investigates police misconduct allegations is the Inspectorate General of the National Police, known by its French acronym as IGPN, is currently looking into the case as he emphasized that he wants disciplinary proceedings as soon as possible.
In a statement released by the Paris police prefecture, they stated that IGPN would seek to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the man's arrest.
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