France confronted extreme criticism on the United Nations Monday over institutional racism within the nation and police brutality in opposition to protesters.
Several nations, together with Sweden, Denmark and Norway, voiced issues on the U.N. over police violence in France, together with in opposition to protesters, because the contry headed into one other day of mass demonstrations May 1.
Attacks on migrants, racial profiling and spiritual intolerance had been additionally raised in the course of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) – which all 193 U.N. international locations should bear each 4 years.
France should “take measures to, in a transparent manner, address allegations regarding excessive use of force by police and gendarmerie against protestors during demonstrations,” Sweden’s consultant instructed the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Other international locations raised related issues, together with Denmark, Liechtenstein and Norway, but additionally Russia, Venezuela and Iran – three international locations that themselves recurrently face accusations of police violence and different critical and rights violations.
“We are concerned about the harsh and sometimes violent measures aimed at dispersing peaceful citizens,” Russia’s consultant Kristina Sukacheva, instructed the council.
The criticism got here as France braced for as much as 1.5 million protesters to fill its streets to mark the May 1 staff’ day, at the same time as President Emmanuel Macron tries to steer the nation on from a divisive pension regulation that has sparked anger, pan-bashing and social unrest.
It echoed rising outcry in France of the police for disproportionate use of pressure in coping with the crowds, amid the months of protests over the transfer to boost France’s pension age from 62 to 64.
During Monday’s evaluation, a number of international locations together with the United States and China referred to as on France to do extra to battle racial and spiritual discrimination.
U.S. consultant Kelly Billingsley mentioned her nation urged Paris to “expand efforts to counter crimes and threats of violence motivated by religious hatred such as antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate, including cases of harassment, vandalism, and assault.”
The Chinese consultant decried “a rise of racism and xenophobia” in France, urging it to “stop … measures that violate rights of migrants.”
Brazil and Japan decried “racial profiling by security forces.”
Sabrine Balim, a judicial advisor with the French inside ministry, instructed the council using pressure was “strictly supervised, controlled, and in the case of erroneous use, sanctioned.”
She additionally pressured that “France condemns any form of racial profiling.”
Source: www.dailysabah.com
