Outrage as footage shows French police assaulting two women wearing hijab

'Yes, I hit her, I have authority to do this,' says police officer, defending harsh treatment

ANKARA:

Footage that showed the French police assaulting two Muslim women wearing headscarf has triggered anger across social media.

In the footage recorded on April 14, the French police use disproportionate force against the two women with hijab in the middle of the street in the Asnieres-sur-Seine city, beating one of them and trying to push the other to the ground.

As the police punched one of them in her head, the woman recording the video footage is heard saying: "Hey, I'm recording, let her go. He slapped (the woman) and hit her."

Later, the woman who recorded the incident got out of her car and went to the police to say that she had recorded it.

"Yes, I hit her, I have the authority to do this," said the police officer.

Islamophobic attitude

While harsh police treatment sparked outrage on social media, users called the French police "Islamophobic."

Also read: Man to stand trial in France for assaulting 2 Muslim women wearing hijab

The statement attached to the footage on social media claimed that the police officers were stuck in the traffic and turned on the siren to move forward.

Meantime, the women with headscarves, who had the right of way, tried to cross the road, but the police officers got out of the car and did not allow them to pass and beat them.

The Paris Police Department said on social media that the police patrol team turned on the siren to respond to a vehicle breaking the rules, and despite the urgency, the two women tried to cross the road, "disrespecting the police and angering them."

The situation spun out of control as the crowd was involved in, and the police would file a complaint against the two women, it added.