Demonstration in Paris against the proposed law on "global security" and in support of the world of culture, Saturday January 16, 2020 (illustration).

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Gabrielle CEZARD / SIPA

New rallies are being organized this Saturday in dozens of cities in France to protest against the proposed "global security" law, fought since November by defenders of public freedoms and journalists' unions, and also to defend the right to culture in a context of restrictive measures to fight against the coronavirus.

In the capital, the meeting was fixed at 1 pm Place de la République, with the participation of artists and musicians, "to proclaim the freedom to create, to exercise, to play for a resolutely living public", face when cultural venues are closed.

“The government is closing all places of thought, culture, exchange and critical thinking, favoring shopping centers over theaters, universities, concert halls and cinemas.

We want to be free, awake and standing!

", Proclaim the organizers, calling for a mobilization" in the strict respect of barrier gestures and the most total determination ".

Many other gatherings are planned across the country, notably in Lyon, Lille, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Toulon, Nice, but also Dijon, La Rochelle, Quimper, Abbeville, Tarbes, Le Havre etc.

The text on "global security", presented this fall, penalizes in particular, in its article 24, the malicious dissemination of images of members of the police.

A measure defended by the government, according to which it would protect police officers who were victims of calls to hatred and murder on social networks, but which would prevent, according to its detractors, from filming the police in intervention and documenting the police violence.

"An arsenal of tools to restrict public freedoms"

The collective "# StopLoiS SécuritéGlobale", launched by journalists' unions and the Human Rights League, also targets articles 21 and 22 on the use of pedestrian cameras and drones by the police.

He is also opposed to the new "national plan for maintaining order" (SNMO), regularly invoked by the police to limit media coverage of the demonstrations.

"With this bill would come a whole arsenal of tools to restrict public freedoms and amplify repression: preventing the filming of police practices, general surveillance by drone and by camera-pedestrian, the granting of dangerous powers to private companies security… ”, plead the members of the collective, calling for“ bringing down ”this text, which is due to pass to the Senate in March.

Since the start of the examination of the bill, the number of demonstrators, who often include "yellow vests", has varied from month to month.

The most important day of mobilization, November 28, had gathered 500,000 people in the country according to the coordination, 133,000 according to the government.

The "freedom marches" of January 16, for their part, gathered 34,000 people in France according to the police, and 200,000 according to the organizers.

They had been joined by party members of the "free parties" movement, who consider themselves targeted by an abusive police repression after the rave of Lieuron (Ille-et-Vilaine) at New Year.

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