France is rioting over police brutality. It's not the first time.
3 France’s George Floyd protests
For many analysts, this week’s scenes were reminiscent of protests three years ago in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. Floyd died after an officer pinned him to the ground for more than eight minutes by placing a knee on his neck during an arrest. His murder sparked a global outcry that resonated in France, where activists say police target Black and Arab citizens with impunity.
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“Abusive and discriminatory identity checks are a long-standing problem in France,” a 2020 Human Rights Watch Report said. “Statistical evidence gathered by social scientists and nongovernmental organizations indicates that Black and Arab men and boys, or people perceived as such, living in economically disadvantaged areas are particularly frequent targets for such stops.”
Thousands in France marched for Floyd. The movement also sought to raise awareness about incidents of police brutality in France that had failed to receive the same public recognition.
Source: The Washington Post
