In France, thousands protest against police brutality

Tens of thousands of people marched in France on Saturday to protest police brutality at demonstrations organised by the left, with clashes erupting at the rally's periphery.

The nationwide demonstration occurred less than three months after the fatal shooting of a teenager at a traffic check by a police officer sparked more than a week of rioting in Paris and elsewhere.

In the nation's capital, protesters of all ages carried signs reading "Stop state violence," "Don't forgive or forget," and "The law kills."

The demonstrators targeted article 435-1 of the internal security code, which was introduced in 2017 and expands authorities' discretion to shoot if a suspect refuses to comply.

They responded to a call from the radical left, which included France Unbowed (LFI).

According to the unions, approximately 80,000 people participated in the protests across France, including 15,000 in Paris. However, the interior ministry put the number at 31,300, with 9,000 in Paris.

- 'Unacceptable violence' -

According to an AFP correspondent, the government denounced "unacceptable violence" on the fringes of the Paris march after officers were attacked while trapped in their police vehicle.

Hundreds of hooded people wearing black broke away from the main march of several thousand people in Paris.

According to an AFP reporter, they smashed the windows of a bank branch and threw objects at a police car stuck in traffic.

The car was attacked with a crowbar, and anti-riot officers were forced to intervene, according to the Paris police.

Police reported that three officers sustained minor injuries.