More than 2,000 protest in Rennes against police firearm legislation
More than 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Rennes on Saturday to protest a draft bill introducing a presumption of legitimate firearm use for French police, leading to five arrests after clashes with riot officers.
More than 2,000 people demonstrated in Rennes, Ille-et-Vilaine, on Saturday, 19 September, opposing a draft bill that would establish a presumption of legitimate firearm use by law enforcement officers. According to figures communicated by police to ICI Armorique, officers reported numerous projectiles thrown at street furniture and CRS riot police, leading to five arrests over the course of the afternoon.
The draft legislation, which must still be examined in the Senate, has drawn opposition from groups describing the measure as a licence to kill and a setback for the rule of law. More than 150 organizations signed the "Stop state violence" appeal against the proposal, including local collectives as well as political parties such as the Socialist Party, The Ecologists, and La France insoumise.
The gathering in Rennes was part of approximately 100 marches and rallies scheduled across France over the weekend. Demonstrations in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Lille are scheduled for Sunday afternoon, with the Parisian march departing from Place de la République at 14:00.
