Three French police officers go on trial for 2020 beating of Black music producer

Three French police officers have gone on trial for the beating of Michel Zecler, a Black music producer, in Paris in 2020, France 24 reported. The officers said Zecler was not wearing a face mask during the Covid pandemic at the time of the incident.

The assault was captured on camera and provoked nationwide outrage, bringing renewed scrutiny to issues of police violence and racism in France, according to France 24 and The Guardian. Victims and researchers describe police violence as systemic, while authorities and police unions argue such cases are isolated.

The case is notable for being a rare instance of police brutality reaching the courtroom in France, The Guardian noted. Campaigners and rights groups view the trial as evidence of systemic racism within the French police, highlighting harsher treatment of ethnic minorities compared to white people.

The trial occurs amid a broader context of heightened tensions and recent protests over police conduct in France, including incidents involving young protesters, France 24 said. Michel Zecler was stopped outside his Paris studio on November 21, 2020, when the assault took place.