French court blocks coronavirus bans on protests
France's top administrative court on Saturday suspended a ban on demonstrations, part of the country's ongoing coronavirus restrictions. An urgent affairs judge in the Council of State upheld a complaint by trade unions and an individual applicant that the blanket ban was a disproportionate interference with a fundamental right.
- World
- AP
- Published Date: 11:53 | 13 June 2020
- Modified Date: 12:20 | 14 June 2020
France's highest administrative court says coronavirus concerns no longer justify banning public protests.
In a country that sees thousands of protests annually, the Council of State's ruling Saturday night allows demonstrations to resume as long as health protections are respected and the events are declared in advance to authorities and not deemed a risk to public order.
The council says that "the ban on protesting is not justified by the current health situation" and the right to protest is a "fundamental freedom."
The ruling came as an unauthorized protest against police violence and racial injustice wound down in Paris. Police stopped at least 15,000 protesters from marching through the city Saturday, citing virus restrictions on any gathering of more than 10 people.
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