France Link

'Cowardly lynching' of police officers in France on New Year's Eve

Attack took place in Champigny-sur-Marne, south-east of central Paris, as officers tried to clear a crowd from a New Year's Eve party.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Two French police officers have been brutally beaten by a gang of youths after trying to clear a crowd from a New Year's Eve party, reports Sky News.

The attack took place in Champigny-sur-Marne, a district in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, just after midnight.

Officers had been called to attend to a disturbance at a private party and attempted to clear a crowd of 300 or 400 people.

They then fired tear gas after "a group of particularly violent individuals laid into the police," local security chief Jean-Yves Oses said, with people beating and kicking two officers.

Footage shared on social media shows a young female officer cowering on the ground as she is kicked and stamped on by multiple people.

She suffered multiple bruises, while her male colleague suffered a broken nose and bruises.

Attackers shouted "beat them, take their weapons" according to one witness who spoke to local reporters.

Another video shows a car being turned over and vandalised by the rowdy partygoers.

Read more of this report from Sky News.