Majority Of French Lawmakers Back Revision Of Article 24 Of Global Security Bill

The parliamentary majority in France have urged a revision of the text of Article 24 of the controversial global security bill, which seeks to make it illegal to distribute videos and photos identifying law enforcement officers

PARIS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 30th November, 2020) The parliamentary majority in France have urged a revision of the text of Article 24 of the controversial global security bill, which seeks to make it illegal to distribute videos and photos identifying law enforcement officers.

The legislation was passed at the French parliament's lower house last week, immediately sparking a broad public outcry, especially among journalists. 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.

"To remove all doubts, today we think it necessary to clarify the legal mechanism adopted [by the National Assembly] in the first reading. We will propose a complete revision of Article 24," Christophe Castaner, the parliamentary leader of the ruling Republique En Marche party, said.

The lawmaker noted that Article 24 of the bill meets two goals to provide more effective protection of the police and to preserve freedom of the press. At the same time, according to Castaner, the misunderstanding that exists forces to revise the legislation.

"The balance we were looking for in this article was not unanimously accepted," he added.

The initiative for a complete revision of the article is also supported by lawmakers of the Democratic Movement party and the Agir ensemble group of the French National Assembly.

Critics of the legislation have said say it may hamper the functions of mass media to cover protests and inform the population, while also violating freedom of expression. The supporters, on the other hand, claim its main purpose is to provide more protection to security troops, which have been subjected to a series of violent acts over the past months, including the attack on a police unit in a Paris suburb of Champigny-Sur-Marne in mid-October, which prompted protests by police officers demanding better protection from the state.

On Saturday, protests were held in over 70 cities across France, most actively in Paris, against the draft law which criminalizes publication of images of law enforcement officers. The rallies in Paris grew into unrest and clashes with police. According to the French Ministry of the Interior, around 130,000 people attended the protests, while the protest leaders have claimed the number of people who took to the streets was much higher 500,000.