Protests held in France against police use-of-force bill — France 24
Thousands of people in Paris and other French cities took to the streets to protest a bill that provides for a presumption of the lawfulness of police officers’ and gendarmes’ actions when using weapons. Critics of the document call it a “license to kill,” France 24 reports.
Senate vote
In July, members of France’s National Assembly approved a bill on the lawful use of force. Under the document, a law enforcement officer who uses a weapon would be presumed to have acted lawfully. The bill must now be considered by the Senate.
Politicians, human rights defenders and activists took part in the Paris demonstration, including Mathilde Panot of the left-wing France Unbowed party. She called on the Senate to reject the document, saying that organized police impunity cannot exist in a republic.
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Rallies in other cities
Amnesty International, the French magistrates’ trade union and the Human Rights League joined the protests. According to police, 4,500 people attended the rally in Lyon and 3,700 in Toulouse. A petition against the bill on the National Assembly’s website collected 730,000 signatures, but a parliamentary committee rejected it in July.
Supporters of the bill argue that it is intended to prevent automatic suspicion or detention of law enforcement officers after they use armed force. Cédric Picard, an Amnesty International representative in Marseille, expressed concern that the law could contribute to an increase in police violence.
On the eve of the protests, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called on police to be especially vigilant over fears of incidents. In Rennes, according to local authorities, eight people were detained after objects were thrown at law enforcement officers, while three police officers were injured.
