French Education Protests Draw Thousands Amid Claims of Excessive Police Force

Thousands of students, teachers and trade unionists demonstrated in Paris and several other French cities, calling for better conditions in education.

The protests have been accompanied by accusations that police used excessive force against demonstrators.

The government said 215 students and 715 police personnel had been injured since the protests began. Those figures cover the period of the demonstrations, rather than a single gathering.

More than 5,000 people have also been detained, according to the government, as demands over education conditions coincide with scrutiny of the police response.