France faces backlash over proposed police firearms law

France is facing intense scrutiny over police tactics and a controversial firearms bill currently facing a Senate vote. The proposed legislation would create a presumption that officers acted in self-defence when using firearms, a measure critics have labeled a “licence to kill”. The bill previously received approval from the National Assembly in July.

Public outcry has been fueled by recent incidents during education protests, including a 15-year-old losing a hand to a stun grenade and a 14-year-old suffering severe facial injuries from a tear gas canister. Consequently, authorities have halted the use of stun grenades during such protests.

Data indicates a rise in fatal police shootings in France, with at least 69 deaths recorded in 2024, compared to 49 in 2023 and 50 in 2022. Activists, including Issam El Khalfaoui, who lost his son in a 2021 police shooting, have organized petitions against the new law, garnering over 700,000 signatures.