'Deeply regressive': How the French government plans to make protesters pay for riots and looting
Summary
After riots and looting on the fringes of mostly peaceful demonstrations in France on October 17, the government proposed a law that could make protesters pay up to €10,000 for damage, even if they did not cause it themselves. The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, and the National Assembly is due to debate it; critics say it could undermine the right to peaceful protest, while legal experts note that existing law already allows people to pay for damage they caused.Key Facts
- France’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry said nearly 2,500 businesses were damaged during the unrest, with more than 1,000 ransacked, looted or set on fire.
- The IFRAP Foundation estimated the nationwide damage at nearly €1 billion.
- The proposed law could require protesters to pay up to €10,000 for damage linked to public unrest, even if they were not directly responsible.
- The Senate passed the bill on Wednesday, and it will now be debated in the National Assembly.
- Human rights groups, unions and left-wing parties have criticized the bill as a threat to the right to peaceful protest.
- Criminal defence lawyer Laurent Caruso said existing criminal laws already allow courts to require people to pay for damage they caused.
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