Crowds of citizens have been taking to the streets all around France every saturday, since November 2020. They are protesting against a Law, called “Sécurité Globale”, which the Government is committed to push ahead.
The Draft Law includes controversial new powers for police, and the prohibition for any citizen - journalists and media included - to film police while in service. This would prevent anyone to collect any proof of potential misuse of power and illegal violence by police (art. 24).
The Law would also allow national and local police forces a widespread, real-time use of surveillance tools, such as cameras and drones, to film public rallies and send recordings to police databases for a real-time face scanning and recognition of attendees, no matter if they actually did anything wrong (art. 21 and 22).
The Law was submitted to the National Assembly by deputies of the governing party, Emmanuel Macron's La République En Marche, on October 10. It was discussed by the French Parliament Lower Chamber in an unusual “emergency track” session held on November 4th. The National Assembly approved it.
The Draft Law is expected to pass to the Senate on January 2021.
Further controversial legislation passed meanwhile, both by the Parliament and the Government. This is the case of the “Loi separatisme”, aimed to enforce the fight against Islamist fundamentalism. The Law, submitted by the Government on December 9th, introduces, in a diversely numbered article, the same prescription contested in Sécurité Globale, art. 24.
On November 12th, the UN Council on Human Rights wrote a letter to French Authorities expressing worries for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, such as the right to a private life, to freedom of expression, opinion or association, should the securitarian law pass.
Tens of French organizations from civic society, journalists associations and activists for the Rule of Law joined forces in #StopLoiSecuriteGlobale, a civic net promoting mass rallies on saturdays, every week, since the “Sécurité Globale” bill started its political journey. They ask the Parliament to delete those articles undermining the Rule of Law in France, the Country of Human Rights.
On December 22nd, le Conseil d'Etat judged illegal the use of drones by police during rallies. A great juridical victory for La Quadrature du Net which promoted the case to the French Administrative Court. Though, French lawmakers still have the power to make the Sécurité Globale Law pass, so to enforce a legal basis for massive, invasive police surveillance.
In this audio-interview, Edlira “Eda” Nano, an activist for the French association La Quadrature du Net, talks to Simona Bonfante about the “Sécurité Globale” Law, and what’s at stake for ordinary citizens, should the Law be approved.
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REFERENCES
EU Report on the Rule of Law, France
Technopolice, a movement against surveillance technologies in France
#StopLoiSecuriteGlobale Coordination
Conseil d'Etat decision on Police drones, December 22nd 2020
Décret «Prévention des atteintes à la sécurité publique» December 2nd 2020
Décret «Gestion de l'information et prévention des atteintes à la sécurité publique» December 2nd 2020
Décret «Enquêtes administratives liées à la sécurité publique» December 2nd 2020
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