The National Assembly (illustrative image).

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SIPA

Will the government's gesture of appeasement be enough to put an end to the controversy?

In a tense climate, the National Assembly voted on Friday the most controversial measure of the “comprehensive security” bill penalizing the malicious dissemination of the image of the police, with guarantees from the government on “ right to inform ”.

"The balance is reaffirmed between the freedom to inform and the protection of the police," said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, during a heated debate.

Faced with the rebellion of defenders of civil liberties and journalists' companies, the government clarified the disputed article which penalizes one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros for the dissemination of "the image of the face or any other element. identification ”of the police in intervention when it“ undermines ”their“ physical or mental integrity ”.

"A form of hindrance to demonstrate and inform"

The government amendment rewriting the article, adopted by 146 votes to 24, indicates that the measure cannot “prejudice the right to inform”, and stresses that malicious intent against the police must be “manifest ".

But it is an understatement to say that it was not enough to defuse the fears of the opponents in the hemicycle, of the left opposition to certain elected members of the Modem, yet allies of the majority.

The rebellious Ugo Bernalicis thus castigated “a massive deterrent company to go and demonstrate and film what is happening in the demonstration.

It is a new form of hindrance to demonstrate and inform ”.

At the Modem, Nicolas Turquois said he was "uncomfortable" in front of this "article 24" and the difficulties "of interpretation" of the attack on "psychic integrity".

Like the left, elected representatives of the centrist group had also proposed to delete the article.

Darmanin "asked himself the question"

Conversely, the boss of LREM deputies and former Minister of the Interior Christophe Castaner judged that the "government proposal allows us to see clearly" and "reassure", after "lawsuits" .

"If the freedom of the press can be attacked, the police officers and the gendarmes can also be it", underlined Gérald Darmanin, after having blown the hot and the cold on this provision, suggesting sometimes to harden it.

In front of the deputies, he also admitted to having "asked himself the question as Minister of the Interior" of the "blurring" of the faces of the police officers, a highly flammable measure, which is not part of the bill. , but demanded by right-wing elected officials and police unions.

For Le Pen, the measure is going "in the right direction"

On the right, LR supports article 24 but the deputy Eric Diard is worried about its "constitutionality".

His colleague Pierre-Henri Dumont regretted that this measure was based on the 1881 press law and not on the already existing provisions of the Penal Code.

For her part, Marine Le Pen (RN) praised a provision which goes "in the right direction" and deserves "neither excess of stigma" and "nor excess of honor".

"Yes", journalists and citizens will be able to continue filming and broadcasting "without malicious intent", said the LREM co-rapporteur of the bill, Jean-Michel Fauvergue.

The restriction does not apply to the registration number, known as “RIO” - that a police officer or gendarme is supposed to wear during intervention.

"It is not the freedom to think that is attacked, what is attacked is this hatred that is on social networks", he added.

Gathering Saturday

For the Interior and the police unions, the measure makes it possible to "protect those who protect us" faced with violence that spills over from social networks.

Journalists, defenders of public freedoms and defenders of police violence denounce "a disproportionate attack on freedom of expression".

The Defender of Rights Claire Hédon demanded this Friday "the withdrawal" of the controversial article that she considers "useless" and potentially harmful to the control of the action of the police and gendarmes.

The contemptors are not disarming: a rally is planned for Saturday afternoon, Place du Trocadéro in Paris, at the call of journalists' organizations, unions and human rights groups who also denounce the new national plan for maintaining the 'order.

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