A French court has ruled that police acted lawfully when conducting identity checks on 13 people who say they were targeted for their skin colour or ethnic origins.
The verdict on Wednesday upends an unusual bid to rein in law enforcement officers often accused of racial profiling.
The case was billed as the first of its kind in France.
Anti-racism groups say non-white French, particularly blacks or those of Arab origin face routine discrimination.
The state argued that the ID checks are not illegal.
The plaintiffs, who range from students to delivery personnel, sought 10,000 euros (USD 13,000) each in the case.
They also wanted changes in the law, to require police to provide written reports of ID checks and to require “objective grounds” for conducting the checks.
PTI