Brav-M police officers in court for violence during protest against 2023 pension reform

A sound recording made public revealed intimidation and insults by officials of this motorized brigade towards demonstrators in Paris, including a young black man.

Brav-M police officers before the courts. Two officers from the motorized violent action repression brigades, which depend on the Paris police headquarters, are due to appear for “violence by a person in a position of public authority” and “threats of violence” on Thursday, September 5, starting at 1 p.m., before the Bobigny court (Seine-Saint-Denis).

The hearing, initially scheduled for March 7, was postponed for “incomplete copy communication”. The trial could be postponed again, according to the Bobigny prosecutor’s office, if the court decides to join the case of other Brav-M police officers who are also implicated.

The facts date back to March 20, 2023, on the sidelines of a demonstration against pension reform in Paris. A group of seven people were arrested, without it being possible to establish their participation in the demonstration or in damage committed nearby. In a 23-minute sound recording, which franceinfo was able to consult, we can hear the officials making insulting remarks and threatening the people arrested. “You’ve never worked and you’re protesting against pension reform?”, “Your life hangs by a thread”, notably launch two of them at a “student”, named Salomé. At his side, Souleyman, a Chadian student and the only young black man in the group, is particularly mistreated. He receives insults and humiliating comments.

The day after the audio recording was broadcast, the Paris police prefect contacted the National Police Inspectorate (IGPN), which conducted the investigation. Ten police officers present at the time of the events were identified, according to the IGPN report consulted by franceinfo. Most of them admitted to the remarks “displaced” Or “clumsy”, but deny everything “sexist, racist or anti-Semitic character”. Some apologize. Four months after the events, the Bobigny public prosecutor’s office ordered the referral to court of two of the ten police officers.

Souleyman and Salomé’s lawyer considers these proceedings too “restricted”. He therefore filed, on behalf of his clients, direct summonses concerning more Brav-M officials. According to Arié Alimi, the grounds for summons to appear before the court are now broadened, and concern racially motivated violence and acts of sexual assault reported by victims during the pat-downs. In addition, Souleyman is no longer the only person considered a victim: Salomé is also one, while her complaint had initially been dismissed by the prosecution. Both assure franceinfo that they will be present at the hearing on Thursday.