French court lifts ban on protests claiming it’s a fundamental right as anti racism rallies continue throughout France

FRANCE’S highest administrative court has lifted the ban on public protests which were previously forbidden under deconfinement rules as long as those taking part follow “barrier methods” such as wearing protective face masks and do not congregate in groups of over 5,000 people.

The news comes after anti-racism rallies took place last week throughout the country and police officers themselves continued to protest after President Macron’s televised address to the nation on Sunday evening.

The Conseil d’Etat has now decided to retract the ban allowing people the “right to protest” and released a statement saying “The freedom to protest is a fundamental right, so the judge has decided that, except in specific circumstances, the ban on protests in public places is not justified by the health risks – except when physical distancing measures cannot be respected, or the event is likely to bring together more than 5,000 people.”

The court also added, “As a consequence, the judge is suspending Article 3 of the decree from May 31 2020, which states that public protests must submit a prior declaration.”