Video of police beating teen sparks violent protest in France

Students attacked police stations in France after a video of police officers using violence to subdue a teenage protester went viral.

The video shows two policemen holding a 15-year-old protester while another violently punches him on Thursday, on the sidelines of student protests against proposed labor reforms.

“We were protesting, throwing eggs. A policeman ... charged at me, knocked me to the ground then he told me 'get up, get up' and he punched me ... my head was spinning," the beaten boy told local media.

The boy's fellow pupils also staged a silent demonstration Friday outside his school in Paris.

"I was shocked. The policeman's punch was too much. He was on the floor and under control, what was the point?" one of the students told the local media.

Meanwhile, Paris police chief Cadot made an announcement, saying "If there was an error, it will be punished. There was no doubt provocation from the students, but this doesn't justify security forces not controlling their behavior, which is what makes the job difficult."

Tensions between French youths and police have flared periodically into violence over the years.

A series of riots occurred in October and November of 2005 in the suburbs of Paris and other French cities, in which rioters burned cars and vandalized public buildings at night.