Thousands of Algerian university students protested in Algiers on Tuesday seeking improvement of their social and educational status, Xinhua quoted the official APS news agency as stating.
The students wanted reformation of the education system.
According to APS, about 3,000 students took to the street, however, the protesters put the figure at about 20,000 students.
Clashes erupted when students attempted to reach La Grande Post square in downtown Algiers to march towards President Office in El Mouradia district to submit their claims to President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, said witnesses.
Police forces closed all outlets leading to El Mouradia and used batons to disperse the protesters, a witness told Xinhua.
The students took to the street in response to a call of the Independent Coordination of Algerian Students (CNEA) to protest the way universities are managed, the depreciation of diplomas and the bad living conditions of students in campus.