Dec 5, 2020 - World

Paris protests against new security law turn violent

Oriana González

Picture showing a car on fire in Paris — Ibrahim Ezzat/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Violence erupted in Paris on Saturday as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement officers while protesting a proposed security bill that critics say would restrict civil liberties.

The state of play: Demonstrators were seen destroying storefronts and burning cars, with police responding with tear gas, per Sky News.

Paris police said that some 500 “casseurs” — which roughly translates to rioters — participated in the protest, with 30 arrests made so far, per Reuters.

The big picture: This marks the second weekend in a row of unrest in Paris provoked by French President Emmanuel Macron's proposed bill that, if passed, would increase government surveillance and restrict the sharing of images of police officers on social media.

A video of police beating Michel Zecler, a Black music producer, released on Nov. 27, ignited more criticism and pushed the French government to consider revising the legislation, per Wall Street Journal.
The French Senate is expected to review the bill in January.

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Paris protests against new security law turn violent

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