France security bill: As protests intensify, over 100 demonstrators arrested

Amid national outrage over the police security bill, protests erupted in Paris on December 12 for the third consecutive weekend. During this massive protest against the new security legislation across the country, demonstrators clashed with the police, set vehicles on fire and even smashed shop windows. According to Associated Press, the Paris police even targeted protesters they suspected might coalesce together into violent groups and arrested over 100 demonstrators. 

As per the local media reports, the protest against the security law passed by French President Emmanuel Macron turned violent when a police water cannon doused demonstrators at the end of the march. As per Paris police personnel, 107 protestors were arrested on Saturday. Over the past weeks, France has been witnessing massive demonstrations against Article 24 of the security bill, which restricts people from sharing images of the police. 

The new law comes in the backdrop of four policemen undergoing criminal investigation for allegedly beating black music producer Michel Zecler in Paris. The assault happened at Zecler's studio earlier in November and the video of the incident surfaced last week. People are now frightened that the new law could stop them from exposing police brutality. 

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According to BBC reports, Christophe Castaner, the head of President Emmanuel Macron's group of centrist MPs in parliament, however, said Article 24 will be completely rewritten and a new version will be submitted soon. The government can never tolerate any reduction of press freedom or images, the ex-interior minister explained while adding that Article 24 would not have affected in any way the spread of those images we've seen in recent days. 

Article 24 of the bill makes it a criminal offence to publish images of on-duty police officers with the intent to harm their "physical or psychological integrity". It further states that offenders could face up to a year in prison and be fined €45,000 (about $54,000).

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Zecler’s incident 

The four police suspects in the Zecler case are facing charges of intentional violence by a person holding authority, according to reports. Two officers have been remanded in custody. According to the CCTV footage published by the news website, Loopsider on Thursday showed that Zecler was being kicked and punched for several minutes by three officers at his Paris studio on 21 November.

A fourth police officer is later seen throwing a tear gas canister into the building, as per reports. The incident reportedly began with a dispute over whether the 41-year-old producer was wearing a face mask, as required during the COVID-19 pandemic. Zecler, who needed stitches, said he was also racially abused during the attack. Meanwhile, President Macron has described the incident as unacceptable and "shameful" and demanded quick government proposals on how to rebuild trust between police and citizens.

(Image: AP) 

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