French court says no need for protests to get official go-ahead

Mon, Jul 6, 2020
By publisher
1 MIN READ

Foreign

FRANCE’S top administrative court on Monday suspended Coronavirus (COVID-19) rules that require official authorisation before protests can be held.

The Council of State said that ordinary laws requiring protest organisers to notify authorities, however not to seek permission, were sufficient.

“Authorities could still ban events notified to them that posed a health risk,’’ the council noted.

In June, the council suspended a complete ban on protests that was part of France’s ongoing coronavirus restrictions.

Two large protests against alleged police violence and racism, as well as counter-protests by police officers, had taken place despite that ban.

The Council of State also said that a ban on gatherings of over 5,000 people remained justified in light of the health situation.

France was hard hit by the coronavirus, with almost 30,000 recorded deaths.

The country was under strict lockdown from March 17 to May 11.

NAN

– Jul. 6, 2020 @ 15:59 GMT |

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