A transgender American student is among nine defendants facing up to 10 years in jail over a violent anti-fascist demonstration in France.
The protesters are accused of smashing up and then setting fire to a police car while two officers were still inside during a march in Paris in May last year.
The American, named only as 28-year-old Kara B., has already admitted throwing a metal bar at officers while ‘driven by excitement and anger’.
Kara B., 28, a transgender American student, is one of nine activists on trial in France accused of smashing up and then setting fire to a police car while two officers were inside
Shocking video played in court in Paris shows the police car being overrun be masked demonstrators who batter in the rear window with a metal bollard
Joining her in the dock are brothers Antonin and Angel Bernanos, 19 and 23, the great-grandsons of Georges Bernanos, one of France’s most famous writers.
The pair are students at Nanterre University, in the suburbs of Paris.
Along with fellow defendant Bryan Morio, 22, all have been described as belonging to the Radical Ultra-Left Movement.
Shocking video of the incident played at Paris Correctional Court shows officers Kevin Philippy and his colleague Allison B. sitting in their car in traffic as masked protesters swarm around them.
The furious demonstrators can be seen kicking in the windows of the car and putting a metal post through the back window, before one of them sets the vehicle alight using a makeshift flame-thrower.
As Philippy is forced to exit the vehicle he is beaten with a pole by one of the marchers, refusing to retaliate despite carrying a sidearm.
Philippy’s actions have seem him dubbed ‘Kung Fu Cop’ in France by viewers who were impressed with his defensive moves.
One person then launches a firework through the broken glass, setting the vehicle on fire
As police officer Kevin Philippy gets out he is beaten with a metal pole. Colleague Allison B. described how she thought ‘I was going to die’ during the incident
Eventually the attacker is moved to one side by another demonstrator and Philippy and Allison are allowed to leave, moments before their vehicle is consumed by fire.
Allison B. previously told prosecutors how she feared ‘I was going to die’.
When the two police disappeared, the protestors put a sign infront of their car reading ‘Roast Chickens’. Chickens is popular slang for police officers in France.
All of the defendants face up to 10 years in prison for a variety of charges including aggravated violence against police officers.
They were all identified as being involved in the attack by an anonymous witness who turned out to be a police officer.
This has led to accusations that they have been subjected to a witchhunt, with the Bernanos brothers in particular being persecuted.
Antonin Bernanos, described in court papers as a ‘brilliant sociology student’, has already spent ten months in the high security Fleury-Merogis prison, on the outskirts of Paris, along with Angel Bernanos, who spent a month there on remand.
One of the student defendants is searched on his way into court in Paris. The trial is expected to finish on Friday
Police have been accused of a witchhunt in the case which has generated a lot of public interest in France (pictured, crowds gather outside court)
The Bernanos’s student flat was searched on the day of the attack, and it was found to contain ‘Everyone Hates the Police’ literature, seven black hooded jackets, and five bottles of camping gas.
The other defendants have been identified as Thomas R., 20, Bryan M., 24, Leandro L., 32, and Nicolas F., 41, who has admitted using a ‘metal rod’ on police.
A ninth accused called Ari R., 30, said he used a battering ram to smash the rear window of the police car.
A Swiss national called Johachim L., 28, is said to have used the makeshift flamethrower but will be dealt with at separate proceedings.
All those arrested have admitted being present during the demonstration close to Place de la Republique in central Paris, but deny many of the accusations made by the police witness.
The trial continues, and is expected to end on Friday.