PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th December, 2020) Over 26,000 people have taken to the streets in France, 5,000 of which gathered in Paris to protest against the global security law, the BFMTV broadcaster reported on Saturday, citing the French Interior Ministry.
According to the media, the country has already witnessed 85 protest rallies against the unpopular law that criminalized the display and distribution of images of police officers.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter that 142 protesters were detained in Paris.
"Several hundreds of rioters have come to commit violence. A hard-line strategy against the hooligans - 142 detentions and convoying the crowd - have allowed to impede them and protect businesses," Darmanin wrote.
According to the minister, the police have adopted a new strategy to prevent the rioters from violence that is based on preventive measures. This resulted in an increased number of law enforcement agents on the streets.
Earlier, the minister reported on 119 detainees.
The previous protest rally, held in France on December 5, gathered over 57,000 people. On November 28, roughly 133,000 protesters took to the streets.
Mass rallies in Paris and other French cities continue for the second week after the adoption of the controversial security bill criminalizing the display and distribution of images of police officers by the French parliament's lower house last month. The bill entails one year imprisonment and a fine of 45,000 Euros ($54,000) in punishment for the distribution of images of police officers and gendarmes that can potentially lead to their physical and psychological harm.
Critics of the global security law have said say it may hamper the functions of mass media to cover protests and inform the French population, while also violating freedom of expression. The supporters, on the other hand, claim its main purpose is to provide more protection to security forces, which have been subjected to a series of violent acts over the past months, including an attack on a police unit in the Paris suburb of Champigny-Sur-Marne in mid-October, which prompted protests by police officers demanding better protection from the state.
