French Senate passes bill to make protesters pay for unrest damage

The French parliament's upper house passed a bill Wednesday that would make protesters financially liable for damage caused during street demonstrations, despite warnings from critics that it could curb the right to protest.

A large pile of shared rental bicycles and electric scooters set on fire on a wide avenue near the docks during clashes in Bordeaux. This scene illustrates the violent turn of the nationwide mobilization on October 17, 2026, which was marked by major clashes with law enforcement and incidents of store looting across several major French cities. Guillaume Pinon / Hans Lucas. Un important tas de velos en libre-service et de trottinettes electriques incendies sur une large avenue pres des quais lors des affrontements a Bordeaux. Cette scene illustre la tournure violente de la mobilisation nationale du 17 octobre 2026, marquee par des affrontements majeurs avec les forces de l ordre et des scenes de pillages de commerces dans plusieurs grandes villes de France. Guillaume Pinon / Hans Lucas. (Photo by Guillaume Pinon / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP)

Source: Citizen Digital