Rights groups say proposed French law to make rioters pay for damage is anti-democratic

Critics have said that a proposed French law that would make rioters liable to pay thousands of euros for any damage they cause is anti-democratic, as it could undermine the legitimate right to protest. The government put forward the law in a bid to quell looting and vandalism on the fringes of ongoing national protests over poor conditions in French schools and the high cost of living.