Thousands Protest Across France Against Proposed Bill Expanding Police Use of Force Protections

Thousands of people took to the streets in Paris and multiple other cities across France on Sunday to voice their strong opposition to a proposed legislative measure that would grant police and gendarmes a legal presumption of legitimate self-defense when using firearms. Critics of the measure have sharply condemned it, describing the text as a potential "licence to kill."

The controversial legislation advanced in July when deputies in the National Assembly voted to approve the bill. Under the terms of the measure, any law enforcement official who discharges a weapon and uses force would automatically be assumed to have acted legally. Following its approval in the lower house of parliament, the bill now awaits a crucial upcoming vote in the French Senate.

A broad coalition of politicians, civil rights organizations, activists, and unions participated in the demonstrations. In Paris, Mathilde Panot, a prominent figure from the hard-left France Unbowed party, addressed the crowds gathered for the march, urging lawmakers to reject the legislation when it reaches the Senate floor.

"The police kill already," Panot told the assembled demonstrators during the protest. She emphasized that within the French Republic, organized police impunity cannot be tolerated, arguing that the country should not have a specific category of citizens possessing the right of life or death over others.

The demonstrations also drew family members of victims of past law enforcement incidents. Among the marchers in Paris was Amal Bentousi, whose brother Amine was shot in the back by police during a 2012 incident in Seine-Saint-Denis, located just north of the capital. Bentousi criticized the proposal as a "licence to execute" designed to improperly reverse the burden of proof in investigations involving police use of firearms.

Prominent organizations joined the weekend mobilization, including Amnesty International, France's magistrates' union, and the country's League of Human Rights. Alongside the major gathering in Paris, numerous other marches were organized in cities throughout France. According to local police estimates, turnout included approximately 4,500 protesters rallying in Lyon and 3,700 demonstrators taking part in events in Toulouse.

Public pushback against the legislation has also manifested online. A petition opposing the bill hosted on the official National Assembly website successfully gathered 730,000 signatures, although a parliamentary law committee formally dismissed the petition in July.

Proponents of the legislation argue that the measure is necessary to prevent law enforcement officers from automatically falling under immediate suspicion or facing detention whenever they are required to use armed force in the line of duty.

Opponents, however, contend that the legal change will have dangerous consequences. During the protest in Marseille, Cédric Picard of Amnesty International voiced deep concern that the proposed law would cause police violence to escalate. Another demonstrator, a high school student participating in the protests named Hugo, warned that in a nation where critics argue police abuse is already a serious concern, the new legislation risks worsening an existing problem.

Ahead of the weekend demonstrations, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez publicly urged police officers to exercise special vigilance due to concerns that the rallies could lead to unrest and security incidents. While the majority of demonstrations proceeded without major disruptions, local authorities in the city of Rennes reported that eight individuals were arrested and three police officers sustained injuries after groups threw projectiles at law enforcement personnel.