France protests against proposed police use-of-force law

Thousands of people protested across France during the weekend of July 19 and 20 against a proposed law that critics label a ‘license to kill.’ The legislation, introduced by Eric Pauget of the Les Républicains party, aims to provide greater legal protection to police and gendarmerie officers when using firearms, provided they follow current legislation.

Protests occurred in approximately one hundred locations nationwide. Major demonstrations included 10,000 people in Paris, 6,500 in Grenoble and Lyon, 3,000 in Marseille, and 3,000 in Toulouse. Demonstrators and advocacy groups, including Amnesty International and the Human Rights League, are calling on the Senate to reject the bill.

The law, which has already been approved by the National Assembly, would effectively shift the burden of proof in judicial proceedings. If passed by the Senate, victims' families would be required to prove that a police intervention did not meet legal conditions, rather than the state proving the necessity of the force used. The government, led by Prime Minister Sebastian Lecornu, has expressed support for the proposal.