School protests focus attention on the chequered history of public order policing in France

By Oliver Davis, Professor and Head of the Department of French, University College Cork

A placard held by a young man as school protests continued across France appeared to capture the mood on the streets. Young people, it said: “want the Bac (high school diploma), not the BAC”. The Brigade Anti-Criminalité (BAC) is a police unit widely known for its aggressive tactics in tackling street crime.

The protests, which began as demonstrations over conditions in high schools (lycées) in Paris have spread across France. Hundreds of thousands of school students and young people have taken to the streets in many cities. After several young people were injured,…

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