France backs off ban on chokeholds after police pressure

National director says method will no longer be taught in police schools

A protester holding a French flag faces police forces during a protest against goverment policies and demand better employment conditions for hospital workers in Paris, France (EPA/CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON)

The French government has backed away from banning chokeholds during arrests following pressure from the nation’s police.

Last week, the country’s interior minister announced the immobilisation technique would be abandoned in response to growing French protests over police brutality and racial injustice following the death of George Floyd in the US.

However, French police staged five days of counterprotests, arguing the ban deprived them of a key method to subdue unruly suspects.

They were also irked at being compared to police in the US or portrayed as white supremacists.

On Monday, the national police director sent a letter to staff saying chokeholds would no longer be taught in police schools, but they can continue to be used “with discernment” until alternatives are found.

Police unions celebrated the step down.

For years activists and some politicians have lobbied for the French police to abandon violent techniques blamed for injuries and possible deaths, such as chokeholds and pressing on a prone suspect’s chest.

The French government has also promised more police officers will be equipped with body cameras to ensure identity checks do not lead to excessive violence or discrimination against minority groups.

Researchers have documented racial profiling by French police, and investigations have recently been launched into racist comments on private Facebook and Whatsapp groups for police officers.

Tens of thousands of people have marched or rallied around France over the past two weeks in protests against police brutality and discrimination.