French police will monitor protests with a drone

In France, the Council of State approved the use of drones by security forces, especially police and gendarmerie, in demonstrations.

According to reports in the country’s press, the Council of State evaluated the objection to the decree that allows the police to use drones in demonstrations. The court, citing that “there are no serious doubts about the legality of the practice”, decided that there was no problem with using drones in demonstrations.

The court, which banned this practice, which was implemented by the police before the decree was issued in 2020, ruled in favor of the police and gendarmerie, which were authorized to use drones with the decree published in April this time. According to the decision, in case of violations in the use of drones by the police, an administrative judge will be able to intervene in practice. The police will only be able to monitor suspicious situations with drones, any other use will be considered a violation.

The Council of State will soon announce the decision that includes certain rules on the content of the decree that allows the use of drones.

In demonstrations held across the country on May 1, Labor and Solidarity Day in France, police used drones in many cities such as Lyon, Le Havre, including the capital Paris. Many associations opposed this and brought the practice to the Council of State. (AA)