Bill Targeting ‘Yellow Vest’ ‘Hooligans’ Sparks Debate on Freedom in France

By Richard Lough

PARIS (Reuters) – French lawmakers have supported a bill prohibiting protesters from concealing their faces during demonstrations, a move that aligns with President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to combat violence associated with the “yellow vest” movement.

The legislation is anticipated to receive final approval next week and also empowers police with enhanced authority to identify and remove potential troublemakers from rallies.

During a session in the lower house National Assembly, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner urged lawmakers to “stop the brutes … (who listen) only to their hunger for chaos.”

Critics of the “anti-casseurs” (anti-hooligan) bill expressed concerns over potential infringements on civil liberties, with the discussion revealing rifts within Macron’s party, which maintains a significant majority in parliament.

The policing strategies employed nationwide have faced criticism, particularly the use of “flash ball” riot guns, which have resulted in severe injuries, including incidents of individuals being blinded.

“We’re not restricting freedoms, we’re ensuring that freedoms can be guaranteed,” asserted Aurore Berger, a spokesperson for Macron’s La Republique En Marche party, on BFM TV following the overnight vote. She emphasized that the focus is not on random citizens but rather on those who pose a genuine threat to others and seek to destroy property.

By prohibiting face coverings, the legislation aims to facilitate the application of facial recognition technology to identify rioters. Individuals who conceal their faces could face a year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros; however, critics argue that such enforcement may be impractical.

The “yellow vest” movement began in November as a grassroots protest against fuel taxes but has since evolved into a wider uprising against social inequality and Macron’s presidency. The name originates from the high-visibility vests that French motorists are required to keep in their vehicles.

During the initial protests in Paris, rioters wreaked havoc, setting cars ablaze, vandalizing luxury shops, and defacing the Arc de Triomphe, leading to some of the worst violence in the capital since the student protests of 1968.

Ongoing violent clashes with police have continued at the margins of weekly demonstrations in Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and other cities.

Lawmakers have now passed four key provisions of the bill ahead of an anticipated vote on the complete package next Tuesday.

Since assuming office in 2017, Macron has faced backlash for actions perceived as restrictive of civil liberties. In early 2018, his administration enacted tighter asylum regulations following a contentious parliamentary debate that exposed fractures within his majority.

Charles de Courson of the Union des Democrates, Radicaux et Liberaux party expressed in parliament that denying individuals the right to protest based on their perceived threat to public order is unacceptable.

“Where are we heading? You might think we’ve returned to the Vichy regime!” he said, referencing the wartime government in unoccupied France that collaborated with Nazi forces.