French protest bill raises wider European concerns

Introduced this summer, the bill is presented as a way to curb violence and make those responsible pay for damage. But it would also allow fines of up to €10,000 for people who remain near a protest after police order the crowd to disperse. Critics say the wording leaves room for arbitrary interpretation. Olivier Cahn, a professor of criminal law quoted by Le Monde, raised that concern; public figures writing in the newspaper also said people may be unable to prove they did not hear an order—one that may not have been audible or given at all.

Senators added a six-month prison sentence for taking part in an unauthorised demonstration. The proposal would also allow authorities, in some cases, to seize part of offenders’ social benefits or evict them from social housing. Civil society groups and left-wing movements fear the potential penalties could deter people from peaceful protests. The opinion-piece authors compared the measures with George Orwell’s 1984. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, by contrast, said senators had improved the bill.

The debate comes amid wider European concerns. Amnesty International’s 2024 report on 21 countries found that conditions for exercising the right to protest had deteriorated. It identified recent laws restricting peaceful protest in France, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain and the UK. Across the countries studied, protesters were frequently labelled terrorists, criminals, foreign agents, anarchists or extremists, the report’s authors found. They also reported systematic discrimination against people of colour in at least seven countries, and said climate activists were targeted in almost every country surveyed. LGBTQ+ people, women, children and people with disabilities faced discrimination in several countries. Reports of police violence have added to human rights organisations’ concerns.

France’s National Assembly will consider the bill next. Those opposed to it hope lawmakers take a less restrictive approach; the debate is expected to continue in the coming months.