'Stop racism' - Mbappe & Griezmann speak out after footage emerges of French police beating music producer

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has spoken out after footage emerged of French police beating a music producer.

Barcelona attacker Antoine Griezmann, Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy and Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette also highlighted the incident on socal media.

There are now calls for France's interior minister Gerald Darmanin to take strong action. Darmanin confirmed on Twitter that an investigation has been launched, while the three officers involved have been suspended.

The victim, who has only been identified as Michel, is said to have been returning to his studio in Paris when three officers pushed him through the front door, forced him against a wall and proceeded to beat him. 

The incident was caught by CCTV on the premises and shows the officers - two in uniform and one in plain clothes - punching him on the head and hitting him with a baton. 

Michel also claims he heard several racial slurs throughout the encounter.

“I was afraid. I thought it was my last day," he added. "I kept saying: ‘I haven’t done anything’, and they kept shouting for me to get down on the ground.”

After the officers were bundled out of the building by Michel and others who came to help, they smashed a window and threw a teargas canister through it. 

Michel was arrested and held for 48 hours before he was released without charge.

The footage went viral on social media on Thursday morning and sparked outrage in France, where members of parliament recently voted in a new law to increase police powers.

Mbappe published a note on Twitter in response to the footage.

"Unbearable video, unacceptable violence," he wrote.

"'My France has values, principles and codes ... My France for me does not live in lies.

"With heart and rage in the light, not in the shadows.

"My France to me, is a mixture, it's a rainbow.

"She bothers you, I know, because she doesn't want you as a role model.

"Stop racism."

Griezmann, meanwhile, shared the video with the message: "My France hurts", and Mendy asked: "Without the videos what would have happened to Michel? We would have preferred to believe the version of the police under oath?"

Lacazette's tweet consisted of angry emojis in response to footage of the video being circulated on social media.