Protesters in France came out in large numbers to voice their frustration over a proposed law that would restrict the sharing of images of police.
Thousands gathered in dozens of protests across the country on Saturday over Article 24 of a security bill that would make it a crime to post photos or videos of officers directed at harming their “physical or psychological integrity.”
Critics said this bill will allow police brutality to take place without the public being able to hold authorities accountable.
“There were all those protests in the summer against police violence, and this law shows the government didn’t hear us. … It’s the impunity. That’s what makes us so angry,” a 26-year-old protester told the Associated Press.
The demonstrations were “overwhelmingly peaceful,” with only minor scuffles between protesters and police, according to the Associated Press.
The issue of filming police misconduct has, in recent days, become particularly relevant in the nation, with video emerging of French police beating a black man. French President Emmanuel Macron responded to the footage on Friday, saying, “They shame us.”
French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Friday that he would be appointing a commission to redraft Article 24. He later backtracked on that assurance after outcry from other lawmakers.
