Student Protests Sweep France Amid Accusations of Excessive Police Force

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

The protests have drawn participants from classrooms and organised labour, bringing calls for improvements to the education system onto streets across the country.

The demonstrations have also been accompanied by accusations that police used excessive force against protesters.

The government said 215 students and 715 police personnel had been injured since the protests began. It also reported that more than 5,000 people had been detained.

The figures highlight the scale of the unrest, though the summary of the government’s account did not detail the circumstances in which the injuries or detentions occurred.