PARIS, Jan. 26 -- Several thousand people took to the streets of Paris on Sunday to protest the death of 35-year-old Mauritanian migrant El Hacen Diarra while in police custody, raising fresh concerns over allegations of racism and police violence in France.

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Diarra, who had been living in a shelter in northeastern Paris, was reportedly arrested on the night of January 14 after allegedly rolling a cannabis joint and refusing a body search. Video shared on social media showed a police officer punching a man on the ground while another officer stood by. The family disputes the account, describing Diarra as "kind, smiling" and non-confrontational.

He was pronounced de...