French Senate passes protest liability bill to make protesters pay for damage

The French Senate on Wednesday passed legislation that would hold demonstrators financially responsible for property damage sustained during street protests, backing the measure by 229 votes to 105 as the government responds to some of the worst urban violence seen in years. Senators approved an expanded version of the bill drafted initially following riots after Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League final victory in May, though the legislation gained urgency after thousands of businesses were damaged during nationwide protests over inequality on October 17.

Financial liability measures

The proposed law authorizes courts to order protesters to pay up to 10,000 euros for damage caused during demonstrations. It establishes joint financial liability for anyone found to have "knowingly participated" in groups formed with intent to vandalize, and applies to individuals who voluntarily remain after two police dispersal warnings. Welfare benefits, housing assistance, family supplements, and back-to-school allowances could be seized to cover damages, provisions that Interior Minister Laurent Nunez defended as urgent necessities. "We can no longer allow the vast majority of our fellow citizens to pay for a minority of vandals," Nunez said in parliament.

Opposition criticism

Left-wing lawmakers have accused the government of an "authoritarian drift," with Communist senator Fabien Gay denouncing the measure as a "legal travesty that deliberately conflates protesters and rioters." Green senator Melanie Vogel accused the government of imposing "collective punishment." Amnesty International warned that seizing family allowances could push "already marginalised families further into poverty." Centre-right senator Olivier Bitz sought to reassure critics, stating that "We must not give the impression that this bill would criminalise a passer-by or a peaceful protester."

Parallel security moves

The Senate on Tuesday also approved separate legislation requiring social media platforms to remove content calling for "insurrection" within 24 hours or face blocking. Marine Le Pen, whom polls place as the frontrunner to succeed Emmanuel Macron in next spring's presidential election, supports the liability legislation, which now moves to the divided National Assembly for debate. The bill has taken on added significance following the October violence, which authorities described as among the most severe in recent decades.