The right is for, the left is against: the new law in France against anarchists

The government in Paris is advancing a law that would require anarchists to pay heavy compensation for acts of looting and destruction, and would even allow cuts to welfare benefits. The right argues that the punishment should be even harsher, while the left naturally opposes it. The law's goal: to obtain the money to compensate business owners whose workplaces were damaged. A sharp political and legal storm is roiling France, following a new bill promoted by the government of President Emmanuel Macron. According to the proposal, being debated this week in parliament, anarchists and protesters convicted of involvement in riots would be required to pay compensation of up to 10,000 euros for vandalism and looting. The surprising bill introduces a mechanism of "joint civil liability," allowing fines to be imposed even on a person who was part of a group that committed destruction, even if they were not directly documented causing harm. Additionally, the bill includes a precedent-setting clause allowing the state to deduct the compensation amounts directly from the welfare and assistance benefits of the convicted – or from their parents' benefits, in the case of minors. The French government explains that the step is necessary to compensate business owners and retailers who suffered millions of euros in damages due to the wave of violent protests that hit the country. On the other hand, human rights organizations, trade unions, and a number of leading lawyers in France are launching a frontal battle against the bill. They argue that imposing collective responsibility on protest participants will expose peaceful protesters who found themselves near violent rioters on the margins of a demonstration to prosecution and heavy financial sanctions. The French League for Human Rights called for the immediate withdrawal of the bill, warning that it sets a dangerous threshold aimed at paralyzing the legitimate right to protest. In contrast, the right demands harsher punishment. The right-wing party "National Rally" led by Marine Le Pen demands going even further, welcoming the principle of joint responsibility and the deduction of benefits, but attacking the government for setting a maximum cap of only 10,000 euros, and calling for the removal of the limit to impose the full cost of damages on the participants in the riots.