Paris, February 10 (RHC)-- Violence spread in the capital for a fourth night after police officers brutally beat and sexually assaulted a Black man in a Paris suburb.  Windows were smashed and fires were started in Paris's Menilmontant district, as activists took to the streets to call for justice after French police were charged with the rape and abuse of a young Black man.

A 22-year old, identified as 'Theo,' was sexually abused, including with a police baton, during an arrest in a Paris suburb. The abuse caused him serious injuries for which he was rushed to a hospital and required surgery due to the severity of the injuries.  One of the police officers has been charged with rape, while three others were charged with assault.

Protesters threw rocks at windows and started fire from trash amidst a heavy police presence in the northeast of the city.  While much more limited than 12 years ago, the unrest served as a reminder of the simmering tensions in neighborhoods with higher-than-average unemployment and big immigrant populations, as France prepares to elect a new president this year.