Amnesty denounces 'ongoing erosion' of human rights in France

French authorities in 2023 imposed excessive and illegitimate restrictions on people’s right to demonstrate, the rights group Amnesty International said in a report published Wednesday.  

Protesters face elite French police officers during a demonstration in support of Palestinians at Place de la Republique in Paris on 19 October, 2023. AFP - DIMITAR DILKOFF

It pointed in particular to clampdowns on protests that saw arrests and the use of force during rallies against issues such as the government’s unpopular pensions reform, plans to build “mega-basin” water reservoirs in rural France, and the war in Gaza. 

Amnesty's 2023 annual report accuses the government of systemic racism and discrimination, as well as stifling civil liberties.  

"French authorities repeatedly imposed excessive, disproportionate, and illegitimate restrictions on the right to demonstrate," the report said.

“In October, the Minister of the Interior sent a message to police prefects asking them to ban any demonstration organised in solidarity with Palestine, which constituted a disproportionate and discriminatory attack on the right to peaceful assembly,” the report said.

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'Racial profiling'

Restrictions on protests, it added, were taking place alongside persistent racial profiling and discrimination against religious minorities.

Muslim women and individuals perceived as black or Arab were identified as particular targets. 

Amnesty denounced what it said were aggressive policing tactics including the arbitrary confiscation of protest equipment and the dispersion of gatherings through the use of force, including indiscriminate baton charges. 

The government, it added, had failed to address racism within law enforcement agencies. 

"French authorities have failed to acknowledge the systemic nature of racial profiling, discrimination against religious minorities, and excessive use of force during protests," said Nathalie Godard, director of action at Amnesty France. 

The report also raises concerns about the erosion of civil liberties, citing the introduction of AI-powered surveillance and vague laws on terrorism propaganda, which it said risked infringing on freedom of expression.