Students Rally Across France as Police Face Excessive Force Allegations

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

The protests brought students and education workers onto the streets alongside union supporters, putting demands for improvements to the education system at the centre of the rallies.

The demonstrations have also been accompanied by allegations 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.

Those figures cover the period since the start of the protests, rather than a single demonstration. The information provided did not specify how the injuries occurred or detail the allegations against police.