A video showing a policeman slapping a protesting student has triggered widespread condemnation in Algeria, with local activists calling out the excessive force being used by security forces on peaceful protesters.

The unnamed Algerian policeman was deployed with security forces to disperse student protests in central Algeria last week.

Students from the faculty of pharmaceutical medicine at Mustapha Pacha hospital were organizing a demonstration against high youth unemployment when Algerian policemen were deployed to disperse them by force.

Activists took to social media to demand disciplinary action be taken against the policeman with the hashtag “Slapping of the student should not go unpunished” quickly trended on Twitter in Algeria all week.

The video which surfaced online this week also showed other policemen assaulting students with batons and forcing them on what looked like a bus.

Activists have deplored the use of excessive force by police in handling peaceful rallies in Algeria.

Local media reported on Sunday that Algerian Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui has ordered the immediate suspension of the policeman in question pending further investigations into the incident.

Source :Al Arabiya