France’s Senate has passed a controversial bill that could compel protesters to pay for damage caused during street demonstrations, raising concerns among opposition lawmakers and human rights organisations over its potential impact on the right to peaceful protest.
The bill was approved on Wednesday by 229 votes to 105, following support from a right-wing and centrist alliance that holds a majority in the upper chamber. It has now been forwarded to the National Assembly for debate and voting.
The legislation was initially drafted in response to riots that erupted after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final in May. However, its significance has grown following widespread protests over inequality and rising living costs, which culminated in violent clashes and the destruction and looting of businesses across France on October 17.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told senators that urgent action was necessary to prevent further destruction and ensure that ordinary citizens were not forced to bear the financial burden of vandalism.
“We can no longer allow the vast majority of our fellow citizens to pay for a minority of vandals,” he said.
Under the proposed legislation, individuals could be ordered to pay up to €10,000 in compensation for damage associated with street demonstrations.
The bill introduces joint financial liability for people found to have knowingly participated in a group formed with the intention of committing acts of vandalism. It could also apply to individuals who voluntarily remain at gatherings likely to disrupt public order after receiving two police dispersal warnings.
Critics, however, argue that the provisions could expose people who did not personally engage in vandalism to financial penalties because of their alleged association with those responsible.
The proposed measures would also allow authorities to seize certain welfare benefits and housing assistance to cover the cost of damages. During its second reading, senators expanded the provisions to include other social benefits, such as family supplements, back-to-school allowances and employment bonuses.
The proposals have attracted strong opposition from left-wing lawmakers, trade unions, student organisations and human rights advocates, who argue that the measures could disproportionately affect vulnerable households and discourage citizens from exercising their democratic rights.
Communist senator Fabien Gay described the legislation as a “legal travesty that deliberately conflates protesters and rioters”, while Green senator Melanie Vogel accused the government of responding to social grievances with what she called “collective punishment”.
Olivier Bitz of the centre-right Horizons party defended the bill, insisting that it should not be interpreted as an attempt to criminalise peaceful demonstrators or innocent bystanders.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen has also expressed support for the legislation.
Beyond financial liability, the French government is pursuing additional measures aimed at preventing violence during demonstrations and addressing online content considered a threat to public order.
On Tuesday, the Senate approved a separate bill empowering authorities to demand the rapid removal of social media content calling for insurrection or armed action against the state.
Nunez said the measure was intended to address online messages encouraging violent action, including calls circulating ahead of a planned gathering the following Saturday.
Under the proposed rules, social media platforms would be required to remove such content within 24 hours or risk sanctions, including blocking or delisting.
The measures have prompted further concern among civil liberties advocates. In an opinion article published in French newspaper *Le Monde* last week, a coalition of trade unions and student groups warned that the proposals could seriously undermine freedom of assembly and expose poorer households to disproportionate penalties.
Amnesty International has also urged the government to abandon the legislation, warning that the seizure of welfare payments and housing assistance could push already disadvantaged families further into poverty.
“If passed, this bill would be a deeply regressive step,” Nathalie Godard of Amnesty International France said on Monday.
“Seizing family allowances, housing assistance, or the active solidarity income could have disastrous consequences for some of the most vulnerable people.”
The bill must still pass through the National Assembly before it can become law, leaving the future of the proposed restrictions on protest-related liability subject to further parliamentary debate.
