France’s Senate has approved a bill that could make protesters financially liable for damage caused during street demonstrations, drawing criticism from civil liberties groups who warn that the measure could restrict the right to protest.
The upper house passed the legislation by 229 votes to 105 on Wednesday, backed by a right-wing and centrist majority. The bill has now been sent to the National Assembly for debate and a vote.
The proposed law was drafted following riots that erupted after Paris Saint-Germain’s victory over Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final in May. It gained renewed attention after protests over inequality and rising prices escalated into violence on October 17, leaving businesses across France damaged and looted.
Under the bill, individuals could be ordered to pay up to 10,000 euros for damage linked to demonstrations. It also introduces joint financial liability for people found to have knowingly joined a group formed to carry out vandalism.
The measure could also apply to people who remain at a gathering likely to disrupt public order after two police warnings to disperse. Authorities could seize certain welfare benefits and housing assistance to recover the cost of damage, with senators expanding the list of benefits covered during the bill’s second reading.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the government needed to respond urgently to the destruction and disorder witnessed on October 17.
He argued that the wider public should not bear the financial cost of damage caused by a minority of vandals. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has also backed the legislation.
However, left-wing lawmakers and civil rights groups say the bill risks punishing peaceful protesters alongside people responsible for violence. Communist senator Fabien Gay described it as a measure that wrongly conflates protesters with rioters, while Green senator Melanie Vogel accused the government of introducing collective punishment.
Amnesty International France has urged the government to abandon the proposal, warning that seizing family benefits and housing assistance could push vulnerable households further into poverty.
The French government has also proposed protest bans targeting individuals considered particularly violent. Separately, the Senate has approved a measure requiring social media platforms to remove content calling for insurrection or armed action against the state within 24 hours, with possible blocking or delisting for non-compliance.
The bill must still pass the National Assembly before it can become law.
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