The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that it has begun dismissal proceedings against a top security aide who violently struck a protester during a demonstration in Paris on May 1.
"New facts that could constitute misdemeanor by Alexandre Benalla were brought to the president's attention," an official at the Elysee palace told Reuters.
"As a result... the presidency has decided to start Alexandre Benalla's dismissal procedure," the official added.
The video of the event, revealed by Le Monde on Wednesday evening, shows Alexandre Benalla in a helmet with police markings, and surrounded by riot police, brutally dragging off a woman from a demonstration and then repeatedly beating a young man on the ground. The man is heard begging him to stop. Another man in civilian clothing pulled the young man to the ground.
Police, who had hauled the man from the crowd before Benalla took over, didn't intervene. Benalla then left the scene. The second man was apparently a gendarme in the reserves who Le Monde said had worked with Benalla in the past.
Paris prosecutors said Benalla has been detained for questioning in the assault inquiry, where he also faces charges of impersonating a police officer.
"Benalla, had been given permission to witness the demonstrations only as an observer," presidential spokesman Bruno Roger-Petit said in a video statement on Thursday.
"Clearly, he went beyond this,” he added.
