France’s Senate Approves “Vandals Pay” Bill

By Staff, Agencies

France’s Senate has approved a controversial “vandals pay” bill that could require people involved in violent gatherings to pay up to €10,000 ($11,100) in damages, including destruction caused by other members of the group. The vote comes amid weeks of nationwide unrest marked by looting, arson and clashes with police.

The government initially drafted the legislation over the summer following violence after Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League victory.

However, it gained urgency after a fresh wave of public disorder, with demonstrations over rising living costs and declining education quality turning violent in several cities.

In Limoges, rioters reportedly looted shops, set vehicles on fire and destroyed the 19th-century city hall. Thousands were arrested and hundreds injured during the unrest.

Senators passed the bill on Wednesday by 229 votes to 105, with support from conservatives, centrists and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, despite strong opposition from left-wing lawmakers.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the legislation aims to deter vandalism and looting, reduce the burden on taxpayers and demonstrators, and provide better compensation for victims.

He argued that liability would be based on fault, including knowingly participating in a group formed to commit violence. Centrist Senator Olivier Bitz stressed that peaceful demonstrators and passersby would not automatically face prosecution under the measure.

The revised bill includes around 20 additional provisions compared with its original version. It establishes joint civil liability for people who knowingly join groups intending to commit violence or vandalism, as well as those who remain in a crowd after police dispersal warnings while aware that attacks are taking place.

Courts would determine the final compensation amounts, and peaceful participation alone would not trigger liability. Journalists, medical volunteers and others attending gatherings for legitimate reasons could be exempt.

The legislation would also allow deductions from social benefits, including family allowances, housing assistance and minimum-income payments, to recover court-ordered compensation. Socialist Senator Marie-Pierre de La Gontrie warned that these provisions could penalize entire families.

Amnesty International France also criticized the proposal. Nathalie Godard, the organization’s director of action, warned that it could discourage people from exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, particularly amid broader government efforts to tighten restrictions on protests.

The Senate vote comes ahead of France’s 2027 presidential election. Le Pen has championed the “vandals pay” principle and accused President Emmanuel Macron’s government of failing to contain the violence.

Left-wing rival Jean-Luc Melenchon has supported the protests while condemning looting and vandalism, accusing authorities of escalating tensions through police brutality.

Although the bill passed comfortably in the right-dominated Senate, it faces a more uncertain path through the divided National Assembly, where centrists and right-wing lawmakers hold enough seats collectively to outvote the left but remain split over the proposed crackdown.