Tough days for the police in France. A Paris court has decided to open an investigation after the emergence of videos that show a man with a bloodied face being beaten on the ground by a policeman. The events took place this Saturday in a demonstrations by the gilets jaunes (yellow vests) in the French capital.
The investigation was opened due to "deliberate violence by a person holding a role of public authority," according to the Inspectorate-General of the French National Police.
As can be seen from the images shared on social media, the protester was on the ground when a police officer arresting him struck him at least twice.
Comparisons can, of course, be made with police behaviour in other countries and situations. For example, last October in the city of Barcelona: