Reuters camera operator filming a protest in the centre of Paris was knocked to the ground by a police officer and sustained injuries.

Video of the incident recorded by the camera operator, Clotaire Achi, showed a small group of protesters standing still and shouting at police in riot gear who were positioned a few metres (yards) away.

The police rushed towards the protesters, and one officer carrying a baton and shield charged directly towards Achi, knocking him to the ground, the footage showed. Achi sustained an injury to his shoulder and right arm, and a doctor signed him off work for a week.

The Reuters camera operator was wearing an arm-band carrying the French word “Presse” in large letters.

A Reuters spokesperson said: “We strongly object to the police assault of a Reuters journalist in Paris this weekend and will address the situation with the authorities. Journalists must be allowed to report the news in the public interest without fear of harassment or harm, wherever they are”.