Thousands march in France against ‘licence to kill’ draft law

Paris and other French cities witnessed a demonstration on Sunday, with thousands of individuals marching against a proposed law on the legitimate use of force. Critics argue that the bill would effectively grant police and gendarmes a "license to kill." In July, the bill was approved by deputies in the National Assembly, which grants any law-enforcement official using force the presumption of legality when employing their weapon. The bill is now set for a vote in the Senate.

Mathilde Panot, a politician from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, addressed the Paris crowd, urging the Senate to vote down the bill. She emphasized that there should be no organized police impunity in the Republic and that citizens cannot have the right of life or death over others. Amal Bentousi, whose brother was shot in the back by police in 2012, was among the marchers, describing the bill as a "license to execute" that would reverse the burden of proof in such incidents.

Various organizations, including Amnesty International, France's magistrates union, and the League of Human Rights, participated in the protest. Similar marches were organized in cities across France, with police reporting numbers of 4,500 in Lyon and 3,700 in Toulouse. A petition against the bill on the National Assembly website amassed 730,000 signatures, but a parliamentary law committee rejected it in July.

Proponents of the bill claim it prevents law enforcement officers from being automatically suspected or detained when using armed force. However, Cedric Picard of Amnesty International expressed fear that the law might lead to increased police violence. In Marseille, Amnesty International's Cedric Picard lamented that the bill could exacerbate the already concerning issue of police abuse.

A high school student named Hugo, who participated in the Marseille protest, echoed this sentiment, stating that such a law risks worsening the situation in a country where police abuse is among the worst. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez warned police to be particularly vigilant during the protests due to fears of potential incidents.

In Rennes, officials reported eight arrests and three injured police officers after projectiles were thrown at them.