An investigation by France’s national police inspectorate, the IGPN, has been opened after a 39-year-old man reported being violently assaulted by riot police officers in Marseille. The prosecutor’s office confirmed the investigation to Agence France-Presse on Tuesday, November 3, following violence near a demonstration on Saturday.
The man, a podiatrist, told the newspaper La Provence that he was caught in a CRS police charge in central Marseille as he walked home after dinner with friends. He said this happened several hours after he had taken part in a demonstration against the rising cost of living.
He alleges that several officers beat him, leaving him with six missing teeth, a broken nose and wounds to his lip and the back of his head that required stitches. He filed a complaint alleging intentional violence with weapons by a group. The prosecutor’s office said the investigation concerns violence involving a weapon by a person acting with public authority.
The La Plaine district, known for its bars and nightlife, saw clashes between several dozen young people and police on Saturday evening. An AFP journalist witnessed several CRS charges, while the confrontations caused large crowds of passers-by to move through the area.
As of October 30, the IGPN had been assigned 105 investigations, according to a source close to the case: 52 linked to the high school student movement, 48 concerning violence on October 17 and 18, and five relating to events on October 24.
Sources: Le Monde Politique.