France's Senate approved, 229 to 105, an expanded bill holding protesters financially liable for damage during demonstrations, after riots and looting on 17 October. It now goes to the divided National Assembly.
France's Senate approved a bill on Wednesday that would make protesters financially responsible for damage caused during demonstrations, with Euronews reporting that individuals could be required to pay up to €10,000. The chamber passed an expanded version of the text by 229 votes to 105, backed by a right-wing and centrist alliance that holds a majority there. The legislation must still clear the politically divided National Assembly before it could become law.
The bill was first introduced after riots that followed Paris Saint-Germain's victory over Arsenal in the Champions League final in May, but it has taken on new weight after protests over inequality and rising prices turned violent on 17 October, leaving thousands of businesses damaged or looted. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez urged lawmakers to act, saying that the country could no longer allow "the vast majority of our fellow citizens to pay for a minority of vandals". France 24 reported that senators debated the idea of "collective civil liability", under which not only perpetrators but also members of the same group could be made to pay.
That concept is the main point of contention. Critics warn that people who did not personally cause damage could still be held liable if found to have knowingly taken part in a group formed to commit vandalism, and opponents argue it could deter lawful protest by people afraid of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The text would also allow welfare benefits and housing assistance to be seized to cover damages, which left-wing lawmakers and human rights groups have criticised; Amnesty International warned it could push already marginalised families further into poverty. Euronews noted that Italy has also introduced tougher penalties for violent protests, so the French debate is part of a wider European trend.
