Emmanuel Macron has been accused by trade unions of trying to limit the fundamental French right to protest, as the government fast-tracks a bill that would make protesters pay for damage caused by vandalism at street demonstrations—even if they did not directly cause it themselves. The French president, who leaves office next spring, has faced more than a month of protests in which high-school students have blockaded schools, demanding a response to teacher absences, repairs to dilapidated buildings, and changes to the university applications platform. Trade unions and gilets jaunes (yellow vest) anti-government protesters are now joining sustained street demonstrations in a growing social crisis over schools, as well as the cost of living and public services. Authorities have increased security measures and placed restrictions on demonstrating after France saw one of its worst days of violence in years earlier this month, when largely peaceful demonstrations were marred by looting, fires, and vandalism of state buildings. The senate will this week debate the government’s proposed “vandals pay” law. The legislation would mean that a protester could be held liable to pay up to €10,000 for damage and vandalism even if they did not directly cause it themselves, if they were continuing to demonstrate nearby or as part of the same group as the perpetrators. The bill also provides for greater use of drones over protests. Hundreds of thousands march across France in protests over schools and policing. Read more. The prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, said the bill—originally prepared in the wake of violent clashes after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Arsenal in the football Champions League in May—was “absolutely essential” after looting and burning during recent demonstrations across France. The bill comes as the government struggles to contain the current crisis. Marine Le Pen, of the far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN), has seen her frontrunner status in next spring’s presidential election boosted as she seeks to reinforce her law-and-order credentials and back the police. Le Pen, who has lodged an appeal to France’s highest court over her conviction for embezzlement of European parliament funds, launched her presidential campaign on Sunday at a rally in Orléans, promising to “bring back order to France.” The RN has claimed the “vandals pay” bill was originally its idea, and Le Pen said she would ensure damage to property was paid for by rioters. Le Pen told a cheering crowd of more than 8,000 people at the rally: “Vandals will pay, and if it takes their whole life to pay, then they will spend their whole life paying.” She said: “We are going to restore the rule of law. Who can claim that there is rule of law when hordes come to ransack and burn our buildings?” Éric Coquerel, from Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left La France Insoumise, said on Sunday that the “vandals pay” law “would mean the end of street demonstrations” in France because people would not want to risk being held responsible and made to pay up to €10,000 for vandalism they had not committed. The Communist senator Fabien Gay told the parliamentary TV channel Public Sénat: “No demonstration could take place again in our country.” In an open letter to Le Monde, leftwing trade unions and France’s Human Rights League wrote: “This unfair law, which is a serious attack on the freedom to demonstrate, should be abandoned, or risk a major step back for the rule of law.” At this weekend’s protests there was widespread anger at Macron for banning non-union demonstrations that his government deemed “illegitimate” and for keeping all protesters away from city centres. Although Macron has not put in place a state of emergency, the government and local authorities have introduced limits on demonstrating, including bans on gatherings in front of schools and demonstrating in city centres, as well as curfNews in some places and extended periods of police custody for the record number of people arrested. NFL shutters Paris fan experience as protests overshadow first France game. Read more. At demonstrations this weekend, many said they had come out to defend the French right to protest in the street. Street protests in France, seen as a fundamental way for people to make themselves heard by a centralized state, have regularly been used to express criticism of changes to the law, from pension changes to same-sex marriage. Serge Slama, a professor of public law at Université Grenoble Alpes, told Telerama magazine: “Although a state of emergency has been ruled out [by Emmanuel Macron] at this point, we have seen a number of decrees bringing a wide restriction on public liberties.” He said this was “unprecedented” and would benefit the far right if they won elections next year, allowing them to put in place further crackdowns without changing the law. Lecornu will meet representatives of protesting high-schoolers on Monday as the government comes under pressure to respond to their demands with funding and school repairs in order to avoid further school blockades.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are FAQs about Macron being accused of risking Frances right to protest with the vandals law
1 What is the vandals law
Its a French security bill that would restrict filming police officers and ban people from protesting with their faces covered Critics nicknamed it the vandals law
2 Why are people calling it the vandals law
Because opponents say it treats protesters like vandalscriminalsand would make it easier to punish people for demonstrating rather than for any actual violence
3 What does the law actually do
Two main parts it creates an offense for filming or photographing police officers with intent to harm them and it bans covering your face during a protest
4 Why is Macron accused of risking the right to protest
Critics argue the law discourages people from documenting police actions and punishes peaceful demonstrators which could chill protests protected under French law
5 Is protesting a protected right in France
Yes The right to protest is guaranteed under French law and the constitution though it can be regulated to prevent disorder
6 Who opposes the law
Journalists human rights groups unions and many citizens Thousands protested against it across France
7 What do journalists say about it
They worry the filming ban would stop them from documenting police violence and holding officers accountable calling it a threat to press freedom
8 What do supporters say
The government says it protects police officers from harassment and online targeting and that the facecovering ban helps identify troublemakers during protests
9 Has the law passed
The bill passed the lower house but faced strong pushback Frances Constitutional Council later struck down the filming restriction as unconstitutional
10 What happened after the ruling
The most controversial partthe ban on filming policewas removed The facecovering provision and other measures remained
11 Does this mean the right to protest is gone
No Protesting is still legal The concern was that the law would make people afraid to protest or document events not that it banned protests outright
12 How does this compare to other countries
Many countries restrict filming police in some situations but Frances proposal was unusually broad which is why it
