France witnesses protests against new security bill that criminalises filming of police

Thousands of people poured on the streets of France on Saturday to protest against the draft legislation of the new security law that criminalizes filming police personnel on duty. Critics of the law argue that it would hinder people's ability to document police brutality cases. The law, if passed, would restrict people from filming police personnel and posting images and videos on social media.  

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Protesters are also protesting against certain provisions of the bill that allows police to use drones and cameras to monitor people. The French government says that the measures will protect the police better, however, activists demand total withdrawal of the proposed legislation. Police used water cannon against protesters at Republique square in Paris after the demonstration turned violent. 

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Similar protests rocked France last year after people in large numbers gathered to oppose the security bill. French President Emmanuel Macron's party later assured that it would rewrite the draft bill. According to the country's interior ministry, Saturday's protest saw over 32,000 people out protesting against the law, down from over 1,33,000 back in November. Paris police on Saturday said that people out without valid reason during curfew hours will be fined €135.

Protests against COVID restrictions

Meanwhile, some protesters also opposed the latest restrictions imposed in the country to prevent the spread of COVID-19. France introduced new preventive measures that ban members of the public from going out between 6 pm and 6 am. Protesters expressed their opposition against the shut down of cultural sites across the country. To them, closing almost all cultural sites because of the pandemic while shops and other places remain open, is irrational. 

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France has imposed travel on international passengers, exempting citizens of the European Union. The country is witnessing a massive surge in COVID-19 cases, which scientists are attributing to the new variants. Hospitals in the country are under immense pressure as intensive care beds are running out of capacity with over 60% occupied by COVID-19 patients. Authorities are mulling the transfer of patients between regions to provide some relief to hospitals. France has recorded more than 3.2 million cases so far, of which over 75,000 people have lost their lives. 

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(Image Credit: AP)