Thousands take to streets in Paris protesting extension of emergency law

Demonstrators march through Paris in protest against the ongoing state of emergency. Image from Al Arabiya.

Paris, (IINA) - Thousands of people protested against the state of emergency in France, asking the French government to lift the draft law, according to media reports.
They took to the streets of Paris on Saturday to protest against the state of emergency that has been in place since the deadly November attacks. Shouting “liberté” (liberty), they demanded the removal of the state of emergency.
Under the special rules police are given unprecedented powers including conducting house raids without a warrant or judicial oversight, and allows the authorities to restrict the movements of people and vehicles at specific times and places.
Camille Blanc, vice Chairman of Amnesty International in France, told Al Arabiya English that the state of emergency was bad for people’s basic human rights.
“We don’t think this is a useful measure and it is something where there will always be some people who are discriminated against. We are really afraid about the discrimination that might take place,” she said. “Under the state of emergency more Muslim people have been discriminated against. We saw some house raids because people were Muslim.”
She said in Canada they removed the state of emergency “because it served no purpose”.
“So in France we are wondering why they are still pursuing this line,” Blanc added.
A Paris based organization named, the Collective Against Islamophobia in France, along with other groups and left-wing political parties participated in the protest, New Europe news website reported citing TRT World news.
From his side, Yasser Louati, spokesperson for the anti-Islamophobia organization accused the French government of targeting the Muslims and not using the law to fight terror. “The aim (of the Emergency Law) is not an anti-terror fight. Mosques, halal restaurants, women wearing headscarves have been targeted. Doors have been smashed and houses rummaged. By making Muslims pay for the attacks, the state says: Look, I am fighting against terror,” he claimed.
SM/IINA

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