Protests challenge French bill expanding police use-of-force protections
Thousands marched across France against legislation that would presume officers acted lawfully when using their weapons, with the bill now heading to the Senate.
Thousands of people marched in Paris and other French cities on Sunday against a proposed law governing police and gendarmerie use of force. The bill, approved by France’s National Assembly in July, would presume that an officer had acted lawfully when using a weapon.
The legislation now faces a vote in the French Senate. Supporters say it would prevent officers from automatically becoming suspects or being detained after using armed force.
Critics, including Amnesty International, France’s magistrates’ union, the League of Human Rights, politicians and activists, argue that the proposal could reverse the burden of proof and weaken accountability. Some protesters described it as a “licence to kill” or a “licence to execute”.
Police reported that 4,500 people rallied in Lyon and 3,700 in Toulouse. A petition against the bill gathered 730,000 signatures on the National Assembly website before a parliamentary law committee dismissed it in July.
In Rennes, officials said eight people were arrested and three police officers were injured after projectiles were thrown. The circumstances were not independently verified in the source material.
