'Licence to kill' row: Child rights and inflation may fuel fresh protests across France

France's streets are once again becoming a battleground over police powers, children's safety and economic hardship. Thousands of demonstrators are expected to take part in fresh rallies on Saturday, marking the fifth consecutive weekend of protests as anger over inflation, alleged police brutality and a controversial firearms bill brings students, trade unions and activists together.

The main rally is scheduled to begin in Paris at 1 pm local time, with dozens of other gatherings planned across the country. The Yellow Vest movement is joining high-school students, trade unions and activists campaigning for children's rights and opposing a proposed law that would give police officers greater legal protection when using their firearms, AFP reported.

"Society's in bad shape. We can't focus on one cause more than another," said Claire Bourdille, a member of a collective campaigning against violence targeting children and teenagers. Activists have in recent months demanded stronger safeguards for minors against sexual abuse, making child protection another major focus of the demonstrations.

At the centre of Saturday's mobilisation is opposition to a proposed police bill that would grant officers a presumption of legitimate self-defence when they use their firearms. The legislation, which has been approved by France's lower house and is due to go before the Senate, has drawn support from the far-right National Rally, whose leaders argue that police officers should not automatically face suspicion of using disproportionate force.

Opponents, however, warn that the proposed law could make it even harder to hold security forces accountable for alleged abuses. Activists have denounced it as a "licence to kill", arguing that it could weaken scrutiny of police shootings in a country where many allegations of police brutality rarely reach criminal courts.

Despite the decline in weekend turnout, trade unions have demonstrated that the movement can still draw large crowds. More than 500,000 people took to the streets across France during a union-led strike last Thursday, according to official figures. Unions have now called for another nationwide strike on Tuesday after rejecting the government's proposed 0.6 per cent increase in the minimum wage, dismissing the offer as "crumbs".

The protests are unfolding against the backdrop of France's 2027 presidential election, with the far right viewing the vote as its strongest opportunity yet to capture power, AFP reported earlier. Marine Le Pen's National Rally has backed the proposed police bill, bringing the debate over law enforcement, civil liberties and public order into an increasingly charged political climate ahead of the election.