French Youths Protest Police Brutality, Eight Arrested

Eight protesters have been arrested following an anti-police brutality demonstration at Place de la Nation in Paris, France. The past week has seen an escalation in the number of similar protests (violent and non-violent) across the country in relation to an arrest earlier this month. The arrest involved four officers and a black youth named Theo, in Aulnay-sous-Bois north of Paris. It is alleged that one of the officers raped the youth with a baton, leaving him severely injured and in need of emergency surgery. As of now, he is expected to be in recovery for three months. A banner which read “Revenge for Theo” was displayed during the demonstration in question. Theo (whose last name has not been disclosed) has since been visited in hospital by President Hollande; in a move interpreted by some aimed at calming tensions on housing estates, and deflecting criticism that the government had, in the past, turned a blind eye to allegations of police brutality.
Speaking from his hospital bed, Theo attempted to make an appeal for the demonstrators to stop the violence, whilst adding that he remained hopeful that justice shall prevail. Earlier he had described the ordeal in detail, saying he thought he was going to die. He said a police baton was forced into his anus and that he was then sprayed with tear gas to the face and mouth, and beaten around the head while officers shouted insults at him, including “bitch”.
Since the incident, protests have escalated with some taking place across several housing estates. Reports now claim that students using makeshift barrier have blocked up to sixteen high schools and have disrupted twelve others. Worryingly, events took a violent turn after a hundred students set two cars and motorcycle ablaze and threw stones, shattering a shop window in the suburb of Clichy. This was followed by skirmishes between some protesters and police, culminating in the arrest of nine individuals.
Despite the upturn in violence the protests have, according to Reuters, failed to snowball to the extent of the unrest that twelve years ago drew global attention to the stark contrast between wealthy Paris and the suburbs surrounding it. Rather, these events have led to largely peaceful, yet vocal demonstrations to put a spotlight on police brutality in France, where police are seen as exerting excessive force in their dealings with minorities. To add further context, a similar situation to the one being witnessed now took place last year following the death in police custody of Adama Traore, in Beaumont-sur-Oise, outside Paris. As summarized by a statement released by the Independent Counter-Struggle Movement, that helped to organize the Place de la Nation protest, “The climate in France is becoming more and more worrying. A great mobilization of youth is more than necessary to counter the security and racist climate.”

Arthur Jamo
Follow me

Related