Dozens arrested in Paris protest against new security law

Police in Paris have arrested dozens of people during a tense demonstration against a proposed security law.

Arrests

Officers targeted protesters who they suspected might gather in violent groups, like those who vandalised shops and vehicles at previous demonstrations. The interior minister said 81 people had been arrested on Saturday 12 December.

The proposed security law has been met by successive weekends of protests. The most contested measure in the new law could make it more difficult for people to film police officers. It aims to outlaw the publication of images with intent to cause harm to police.

The provision has caused such an uproar that the government has decided to rewrite it.

Critics fear the law could erode media freedom and make it more difficult to expose police brutality.