Hundreds of police took to the streets of Paris for a fourth night of demonstrations calling for reinforcements and stiffer penalties following a string of attacks on officers. Protests also took place in other French cities on Thursday night despite the government's efforts to contain growing anger among police as the issue of safety of law enforcement officers enters the presidential race. Around 500 officers, most dressed in civilian clothes and some with their faces partly covered, protested near the Eiffel Tower. Under French law, police may protest only when off duty, out of uniform and provided they leave their service weapons and vehicles behind. The Socialist government has accused former president Nicolas Sarkozy of cutting 10,00 police jobs during his 2007-2012 presidency.

Source: The Local October 21, 2016 06:56 UTC