French TV Airs Unseen Footage of Police Violence Against Yellow Vests Protesters in 2018
Previously unreleased surveillance footage has revealed fresh details of police violence against Yellow Vests protesters during a 2018 demonstration in Paris, just days ahead of the trial of nine riot police officers accused of assault.
France TV reported on Friday that the video shows officers from France’s CRS riot police striking protesters and a journalist with batons inside a Burger King restaurant in central Paris. The incident occurred on December 1, 2018, during the third day of nationwide Yellow Vests protests.
On that day, heavy tear gas filled Place Charles-de-Gaulle, forcing dozens of demonstrators to seek shelter inside the fast-food outlet. Minutes later, CRS officers entered the premises to clear the building.
The surveillance footage reportedly captures several protesters — some of whom were never identified — being beaten with batons, along with a journalist, in front of the restaurant’s security cameras.
One protester, identified as Manon, told France TV that the images remain traumatic. “Each time I watch the videos again where the police hit me, I break down in tears,” she said. She explained that she and her partner entered the restaurant after being overwhelmed by tear gas. “We were drowning in the smoke, it was impossible to breathe, until we heard a voice saying, ‘Come take refuge here.’”
Another protester, Olivier, said he was struck 27 times, adding that the video evidence was crucial in bringing the case to court. “Without video, there would not have been a trial. It’s what gives my testimony weight,” he said.
A third demonstrator, Paul, said the victims continue to face blame despite the evidence, arguing that the case should be treated as a wider social issue rather than an isolated incident.
Seven years after the घटना, nine CRS officers are set to stand trial and face potential prison sentences of up to seven years if convicted, in a case that has reignited debate in France over police conduct and accountability during the Yellow Vests movement.
