France protest injuries: lawyers to sue minister

Lawyers for at least 18 people wounded during recent protests in France said Friday they would sue Interior Minister Laurent Nunez over alleged police brutality.

Attorney Arie Alimi said the lawyers would lodge a complaint with the Court of Justice of the Republic, the court that handles cases against sitting members of government.

Alimi accused Nunez of responsibility for orders to use weapons that he described as mutilating and unsuitable for crowd control. The lawyers said around ten of their clients had agreed to sign the collective complaint.

France has seen high school student blockades and broader protests in recent weeks, less than six months before elections to replace President Emmanuel Macron.

The student movement began with demands for better learning conditions and expanded as anger grew over police handling of teenagers and the cost of living. Rights activists have accused law enforcement officers of disproportionate force in the wider protests.

Police blast ball launchers or grenades have caused at least 20 serious injuries during protests since mid-September, including among teenagers, according to an AFP count.

As of October 30, police had opened 105 internal investigations into allegations of police brutality, according to a source close to the case. The source said 52 were linked to the student movement, 48 to mass protests on October 17 and 18, and five to incidents on October 24.