Tens of Thousands Rally Nationwide Against French Police Self-Defense Bill

Several tens of thousands of people demonstrated across France on Sunday against a proposed law that would presume police and gendarmes acted lawfully when using their weapons, according to Le Monde.

The bill was adopted by the National Assembly on July 7 and states that officers are "presumed to have acted" within the law when they "make use of their weapons." Opponents have called the measure a "license to kill," Le Monde reported.

The scale of the protests underscores the intensity of the debate surrounding the legislation ahead of further parliamentary steps.