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Sunday 22 November 2020 - 10:23

French Police Detain Protesters during Rally against Ban on Filming Officers

Story Code : 899331
French Police Detain Protesters during Rally against Ban on Filming Officers
Police detained 23 protesters and used water cannon on a thousand-strong rally held in central Paris on Saturday against the bill that seeks to ban the making and sharing of footage or images that can help identify on-duty officers.

Tensions boiled over when young demonstrators started throwing rocks and bottles at the officers, shouting "everyone hates police," a Sputnik correspondent said.

After dark fell, the police announced through loudspeakers that the manifestation was over and everyone was to leave the square via designated exits.
Two hours later, police forces moved in to arrest those who lingered behind. The prefecture said on Twitter that 23 people had been detained and one officer lightly injured.

The French parliament voted on Friday to approve the "global security" bill, which will criminalize images of officers taken with the aim of violating their "physical or mental integrity." Critics argue this will restrict freedom of expression and prevent media from covering protests.
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