European Council appeal to France for the ‘right to demonstrate’

The Council of Europe urged the Paris administration to respect the right to demonstrate, reacting to the disproportionate use of force by police in demonstrations against France’s controversial pension reform.

In a written statement signed by the Strasbourg-based council’s human rights commissioner Dunja Mijatovic, it was said that there were violent incidents in France, sometimes against security forces, during demonstrations against pension reform. Noting that this situation cannot justify the disproportionate use of force by security forces against protesters, the statement urged France to respect and guarantee the right to demonstrate.

After the pension reform was approved without a vote in parliament on March 16 in France, violent incidents break out between police and protesters during demonstrations against the reform. While 457 people were arrested in the previous day’s demonstrations across the country, 441 police officers and gendarmes were injured. (AA)
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