France’s controversial Ripost public disorder law faces final test
The bill was introduced in March by Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, and aims to curb public order issues including violence in stadiums, illegal street races, fireworks and the recreational use of nitrous oxide.
Named "Ripost" – an acronym for "immediate response to phenomena that disturb public order, security and tranquility of our citizens” – the bill was approved by the Senate on 26 May, with the National Assembly approving a modified version on 15 July.
A total of 366 MPs voted in favour and 182 against, with the far right joining the government to push the text through against united opposition from the left.
The bill will now go to a joint parliamentary committee made up of senators and MPs, who will try to hammer out a compromise text. Its conclusions could be put to a final vote as early as Tuesday.
No laughing matter: France moves to tackle recreational use of nitrous oxide
Sharp criticism
The law has drawn criticism from civil society and human rights organisations and France's political left.
The Paris-based Human Rights League warned that the proposed measures "risk expanding administrative powers too far” while "weakening protections for protest".
In an open letter to senators, it and three other partners wrote that the Ripost law would “restrict the freedom of peaceful assembly protected by the European Convention on Human Rights".
The hard-left France Unbowed party called the bill a "catch-all text" that "provides for expanding the scope of administrative bans" of groups of fans during football matches, as well as "movement restriction measures that depend on the arbitrary decisions of prefectures".
The clause on stadium bans was eventually removed in the current reading.
French police under fire over use of facial recognition during routine stops
However, one of the bill's flagship articles targeting urban rodeos was adopted, as was another aimed at the misuse of nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas.
The Ripost law would propose a one-year prison sentence and a €3,750 fine for inhaling nitrous oxide “outside a medical setting" – while transporting and selling the substance could carry heavier sentences.
(with newswires)