Australian Tourist Films Confrontation with Paris Police, Claims Unjustified Stop

An Australian tourist has captured on video a confrontation with French police in Paris, claiming he and his brother were stopped and interrogated without a stated reason. The incident occurred earlier in October as Ahmed Assaad and his younger brother were walking back to their hotel.

In the footage, Mr. Assaad is seen surrounded by four officers on bicycles. He states, "We've come from Australia and the police want to do an investigation on us." He further alleges, "So they've pulled us over for no reason, done a full check on us, took our passports and everything."

The video shows officers appearing to conduct identification checks and instructing Mr. Assaad to remove his hand from his pocket. When Mr. Assaad requests an officer's name, the officer appears to attempt to block the tourist's phone with their hand. Mr. Assaad tells the officer, "This is for our safety. I'm afraid of the police who come and pull us over for no reason."

Following the initial encounter, Mr. Assaad posted a follow-up video on TikTok detailing his experience. He claimed the police ran at them and swore in French before he began filming. He also alleged that the officers falsely accused them of being armed and did not believe they were Australian.

"They're like, 'Go on the wall, we need to pat you and check you down and see what you're carrying,'" Mr. Assaad recounted. "I go, 'Brother, what he's talking about? What we're carrying?'"

Mr. Assaad expressed his dissatisfaction with the officers' conduct, particularly their refusal to provide their names while demanding his identification. "They didn't even give their names. How do I know they're actually police officers?" he questioned.

The video has sparked a range of reactions online, with viewers divided on the actions of both the tourist and the police. Some commenters supported Mr. Assaad's stance, criticizing the officers for hiding their identities. Others defended the police, suggesting that Mr. Assaad should have shown more respect and complied with the checks, noting that similar identification checks are common in other European countries.

The Australian government's travel advisory for France, Smartraveller, advises citizens to exercise a high degree of caution due to the ongoing threat of civil unrest and demonstrations. The advisory also recommends that tourists carry photo identification at all times, as police may conduct random checks, particularly at borders. This advice comes as French police were reported to be deploying 70,000 officers ahead of further demonstrations over a weekend, following six weeks of escalating action.

The Daily Mail has contacted Mr. Assaad and the French National Police for comment.