"Global security" law: the Assembly votes the controversial article on the images of police officers
Defenders of freedoms and journalists are particularly worried about article 24 of the proposed law on "global security".
(illustrative image) REUTERS / Charles Platiau
Text by: RFI Follow
7 min
In a tense climate, the National Assembly voted on Friday evening 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 ”.
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"
The balance is reaffirmed between the freedom to inform and the protection of the police,
" said Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, during a heated debate.
"
If the freedom of the press can be attacked, the police officers and the gendarmes can also be it
", underlined the minister, after having blown hot and cold on this provision, suggesting sometimes to toughen it.
Faced with the rebellion of defenders of civil liberties and journalists' companies, the government clarified the contentious 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 identification element
”of the police in intervention when it“
undermines
”their“
physical or psychological integrity
”.
The government amendment rewriting this article 24, adopted by 146 votes to 24, specifies that the measure may not “
prejudice the right to inform
”, and that malicious intent against the police must be “
manifest
” .
Anger on the left, uneasiness in the center
But it was not enough to defuse the protests in the hemicycle, from the left opposition to certain elected members of the MoDem, yet members of the majority.
The rebellious Ugo Bernalicis thus castigated "
a massive deterrent company to go and demonstrate and film what is happening in demonstration
".
At the Modem, Nicolas Turquois, who abstained, said he was "
uncomfortable
" in front of this article 24 and the difficulties "
of interpretation
" of the attack on "
psychological integrity
".
Like the left, elected representatives of the centrist group had also proposed to delete the article.
Two MoDems voted against the amendment and three abstained.
Five LREM deputies chose to abstain, the rest of the majority voting in favor.
I find it hard to tell myself today that this provision of article 24 is essential ...
Law on "global security": unease in the majority despite the vote
Julien Chavanne
On the right, LR supports the article 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.
At the RN, Marine Le Pen praised a provision which goes "in the right direction" and deserves "
neither excess of stigma
" and "
nor excess of honor
".
After the vote, police unions such as Alliance and Unity-SGP-FO hailed an "important victory", despite "
the fierceness of our detractors
".
For the Interior, the measure allows "to
protect those who protect us
", faced with violence that spills over social networks.
Attack on freedom of expression and to inform
Journalists, defenders of public freedoms and defenders of police violence denounce "
a disproportionate attack on freedom of expression
".
The Defender of Rights Claire Hédon called on Friday for "
the withdrawal
" of the controversial article.
A rally is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, Place du Trocadéro in Paris.
Several media leaders, NGOs, trade unions and journalists' companies have expressed concern about Article 24. But not only.
Many also denounce the control and increased surveillance of the population that this new law will allow.
They believe that by wanting to better protect the police and gendarmes on the ground, certain articles of this bill open doors which were hitherto closed in terms of repression.
In particular, the new monitoring tools that could be made available to the police, including municipal police.
An arsenal the use of which was until then highly regulated and which could be extended to all staff: this is the case, for example, with drones, to monitor a demonstration, sensitive neighborhoods, public or private spaces and this , without the police having to go to the immediate vicinity.
The text also paves the way, ultimately, for facial recognition which could allow, live, thanks to images filmed by drones and video surveillance, to identify and arrest certain individuals.
Finally, a number of journalists consider that this law is a serious attack on the freedom to inform and are particularly concerned about the coverage of demonstrations: they consider that article 24 of this law is a tool which will allow the police to hide their slippages.
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