PARIS: Several thousand people took to the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest the death of 35-year-old Mauritanian migrant El Hacen Diarra while in police custody, raising fresh concerns over allegations of racism and police violence in France.
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Diarra, who had been living in a shelter in northeastern Paris, was reportedly arrested on the night of January 14 after allegedly rolling a cannabis joint and refusing a body search. Video shared on social media showed a police officer punching a man on the ground while another officer stood by. The family disputes the account, describing Diarra as “kind, smiling” and non-confrontational.
Several thousand people protested in Paris Sunday over the death in custody of a Mauritanian immigrant worker, yelling slogans against “a police force that kills us”, an AFP journalist saw. https://t.co/RKQRQFLgrU pic.twitter.com/tsY97TrV4U
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) January 25, 2026
He was pronounced dead at the police station after officers reported he passed out on a bench. Paramedics attempted resuscitation, but Diarra could not be revived. His family has filed a legal complaint accusing the police of “intentional violence that led to a death,” according to their lawyer, Yassine Bouzrou.
Protesters, including members of Diarra’s family, marched from the shelter to the local police station carrying banners reading “Justice” and “RIP.” Demonstrators chanted slogans denouncing police brutality and systemic discrimination, echoing wider grievances over treatment of migrants and ethnic minorities in France.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said there is currently no conclusive evidence of wrongdoing but confirmed that the officer seen in the footage “will have to explain himself.” An internal police investigation has been launched.
Diarra’s death is the latest in a series of controversial cases involving police violence in France, including the killing of 17-year-old Nahel M. in 2023 and multiple allegations of excessive force during the “yellow vest” protests of 2018–2019. Activists say most incidents are handled internally, rarely reaching criminal court.
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The protest highlights persistent tensions over police accountability and the treatment of migrants and minorities, with calls mounting for transparent investigations and systemic reform.