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November 23, 2020

Protests Mount over Controversial French Law That Would Ban Publication of Images of Police
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In France, protests are ramping up against a controversial new bill that
would ban the publication of images of on-duty police officers and
expand the power of law enforcement, including through the use of
surveillance drones. Press freedom and human rights groups, including
the U.N. Human Rights Council, have condemned the bill, which passed its
first hurdle in the Parliament Friday and will undergo another vote by
lawmakers Tuesday. This is journalist and co-founder of news outlet
Mediapart, Edwy Plenel, speaking from a Paris protest Saturday.

Edwy Plenel: "What this government is trying to do is for us to stop
carrying out this vigilance, for citizens, whistleblowers, for
journalists in possession or not of a press card, to be more and more
hindered in revealing the failings of the state. And if that happens,
it's the end of democracy."



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