France’s Senate on Tuesday debated a controversial bill that would make demonstrators financially liable for damage caused during street protests, sparking concerns that the proposed measures could undermine the right to peaceful assembly.
The legislation was first proposed after riots broke out in May following Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final.
However, the proposal has returned to the spotlight after weeks of demonstrations over inequality and rising living costs, which culminated in violence on October 17.
The unrest was described as among the worst France had experienced in years, with thousands of businesses reportedly damaged or looted across the country.
The bill was expected to secure substantial support in a vote scheduled for later Tuesday, with a right-wing and centrist alliance commanding a majority in the upper chamber of parliament.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, widely regarded as a leading contender to succeed President Emmanuel Macron in next spring’s presidential election, has also expressed support for the proposed law.
Opponents of the legislation, however, have warned that imposing financial penalties on protesters could discourage people from exercising their right to demonstrate peacefully.
Addressing parliament, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez emphasised the “urgency” of responding to the destruction and disorder witnessed on October 17.
“We can no longer allow the vast majority of our fellow citizens to pay for a minority of vandals,” he said.
Under the proposed legislation, individuals involved in street demonstrations could be ordered to pay up to 10,000 euros for damage caused during protests.
Critics have raised concerns that the provisions could extend liability beyond those directly involved in vandalism, potentially affecting people considered to have been associated with those responsible for the destruction.
The bill establishes joint financial responsibility for individuals found to have “knowingly participated” in a group formed with the intention of committing acts of vandalism.
It also covers people who voluntarily remain at a gathering likely to disrupt public order after police have issued two warnings ordering demonstrators to disperse.
Another contentious provision would allow welfare payments and housing assistance to be seized to recover the costs of damage. The proposal has attracted strong opposition from left-wing parties and advocacy groups.
Left-wing lawmakers accused the government of pursuing an authoritarian drift at the expense of the freedom to demonstrate.
Communist senator Fabien Gay condemned the proposal, describing it as a “legal travesty that deliberately conflates protesters and rioters”.
Two motions introduced by left-wing lawmakers seeking to reject the bill in its entirety were defeated.
Last week, a coalition of trade unions and student organisations also raised concerns about the legislation in a letter published by French newspaper Le Monde.
The groups warned that the proposed measures represented a “serious infringement on the freedom to demonstrate”, arguing that they would disproportionately affect “the poorest families” and encourage “arbitrary police action”.
Amnesty International has also called on the French government to abandon the proposal.