Thousands of people marched in Paris and other French cities on Sunday, September 20, 2026, against a proposed law on the legitimate use of force that critics say would grant police and gendarmes a "licence to kill". The bill, which was approved by deputies in the National Assembly in July, assumes that any law-enforcement official who uses force has acted legally when using their weapon.
The demonstration in Paris drew politicians, rights groups, and activists, including Mathilde Panot of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party. Panot told the crowd that the police already kill and called for the bill to be voted down in the Senate. She emphasized that in the Republic, there can be no organised police impunity and no category of citizens who have the right of life or death over other citizens.
Amal Bentousi, the sister of Amine, a robber who was shot in the back by police in 2012, was among the marchers. She described the bill as a "licence to execute" intended to "reverse the burden of proof" in such incidents. Amnesty International, France's magistrates' union, and the country's League of Human Rights also took part in the protest.
Scores of other marches against the bill were organised in cities around France over the weekend. According to police, 4,500 people rallied in Lyon and 3,700 in Toulouse. A petition against the bill on the National Assembly website gathered 730,000 signatures, but a parliamentary law committee dismissed it in July.
Defenders of the bill argue that it would prevent law enforcement officers from automatically coming under suspicion or being detained when using armed force. However, critics argue that it would lead to increased police violence. Cedric Picard of Amnesty International said that "we are afraid police violence would only grow with this law".
The protests were marked by some incidents, including the arrest of eight people and the injury of three police officers in Rennes after projectiles were thrown at them. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had called on police to be "particularly vigilant" during the protests, fearing incidents.
The bill now faces a vote in the Senate, and its fate is uncertain. While some argue that it would provide necessary protections for police, others believe that it would worsen the situation of police abuse in France, which is already among the worst in Europe.
Key points
- The proposed law assumes that police officers who use force have acted legally when using their weapon.
- Critics argue that the bill would grant police a "licence to kill" and worsen police violence in France.
- Thousands of people marched in Paris and other French cities against the bill over the weekend.
