French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to ensure that necessary measures against police violence are implemented after he had seen images of security troops beating a black musical producer in Paris, the BFMTV broadcaster reported, citing a source close to the government
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th November, 2020) French President Emmanuel Macron has spoken to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin to ensure that necessary measures against police violence are implemented after he had seen images of security troops beating a black musical producer in Paris, the BFMTV broadcaster reported, citing a source close to the government.
The French Loopsider news outlet published a video from a security camera showing three law enforcement officers beating a man, identified as producer Michel, in his studio last week. According to the BFMTV's source, Macron was "shocked" by the video of the beating.
"He [Emmanuel Macron] spoke for about fifteen minutes with Gerald Darmanin to dot the i's," the source said, as cited by the BFMTV.
Initially, the musical producer was arrested for disobedience towards police but was later released. An inquiry against the police officers was launched. Following the incident, Darmanin announced the suspension of the policemen involved.
The French BFMTV reported later in the day that the four suspended officers had arrived at the General Inspectorate of the National Police, where they were taken into custody.
The sources also told the broadcaster that the interior minister is viewed by some members of the government as "too far to the right" and "not in the DNA" of La Republique En Marche presidential party.
Darmanin replaced former interior minister Christophe Castaner in a summer government reshuffle, as the latter came in a midst of protests against racial injustice and police violence across France, sparked by the death of African American man George Floyd in police custody in the US.
In the meantime, the incident of the police beating a musical producer came amid another growing outcry in the French society regarding the police brutality issue. The national dismay also boiled over after new legislation was adopted by the French Parliament earlier this week, designed to criminalize the dissemination of videos and images identifying police officers. The law, which its critics say limits freedoms of speech and press, is a part of the state strategy to provide better protection for the police forces after several attacks on security troops and police units occurred over the past months in France.
