France should halt identity checks by the police that are “abusive and discriminatory”, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday, following angry protests over alleged racism in the security forces.
France has seen a number of demonstrations over the last days protesting the actions of police and highlighting the death of young black man Adama Traore in police custody in 2016.
The protests have been given additional impetus by the death in the US of George Floyd, with thousands turning out in Paris on Saturday for a new protest that ended with clashes against police.
HRW said French President Emmanuel Macron, who is due to address the nation at 1800 GMT, should identify concrete reforms to end racism within the police.
“These reforms should include an end to abusive and discriminatory identity checks,” it said, describing them as a “longstanding problem” and “at the heart of concerns around institutional racism and discrimination.”
