Thousands of French people took to the streets in Paris and other cities, demanding higher incomes, measures to curb rising prices and the withdrawal of a bill related to the use of firearms by the police. In the capital, the protest was held for the fifth consecutive Saturday, with participants including representatives of the “Yellow Vests” movement, students, trade unionists and activists defending rights.
At Place de la République, demonstrators chanted “No justice – no peace!”. Among the protesters was Benjamin Boll from the “Yellow Vests” movement. “The government has thrown us only crumbs, while we want the entire bakery,” he said.
Dispute over police powers
The bill stipulates that police officers who use their firearms would benefit from a presumption of lawful self-defence. Its supporters, including Marine Le Pen’s party, argue that the new rules are necessary to prevent the police and gendarmerie from being automatically suspected of using disproportionate force.
Human rights activists and protesters, however, believe the change could make investigations against law enforcement officers more difficult. They describe it as a possible “licence to kill” in a country where, they claim, cases of alleged police brutality rarely reach a criminal court.
“We are afraid when we come to protests, and if their impunity increases, our fear will only grow,” said 20-year-old cellist Adrien, who plays in a volunteer orchestra. According to him, the main reason for the demonstration is precisely the bill. The previous month, a similar group of protesting musicians had been attacked with tear gas.
Discontent over incomes and prices
In Toulouse, a participant named Kenza said that repression against protesters was unacceptable, especially when it affects children. Lawyers have said that police violence during the recent protests has caused injuries to arms, legs and eyes.
According to the authorities, around 146,000 people took part in demonstrations across France the previous Saturday. This was significantly fewer than at the trade union protest on Thursday, when official figures said more than half a million people took to the streets. The trade unions, however, report higher turnout for their actions.
The protests are part of weeks-long social tensions that have been developing for more than a year before France’s presidential election. The trade unions have scheduled a new day of strikes for Tuesday after rejecting the government’s promise to raise the minimum wage by 0.6 per cent. They described the proposal as “crumbs”.