Paris police investigation launched over violence against student protesters

Authorities in Paris have launched an investigation into police conduct following a high school student protest. The Inspection Générale de la Police Nationale (IGPN) was notified after video footage surfaced showing a police officer striking a demonstrator in the face with a knee during an intervention at Place de la Bastille.

The Paris prosecutor's office has initiated a flagrant investigation into charges of violence by a person in a position of public authority, specifically involving an injury resulting in more than eight days of incapacity for work. This marks the fifth investigation referred by the Paris prosecutor to the IGPN regarding alleged police violence during the ongoing high school blockade movement.

Separate reports have raised questions regarding the presence of undercover or plainclothes officers participating in demonstrations and their specific roles in maintaining order or managing the current student-led unrest.