The key facts

  • EC: the right to peaceful protest must be protected, but violence, arson and looting are unacceptable
  • According to official figures: about 1,000 injured police officers, ~1,500 attacked businesses, ~2,400 detained
  • EC reminded platforms of their obligations under the Digital Services Act and continues contacts with Paris

The European Commission's position

The European Commission on Monday spoke in support of the right to peaceful protest, while condemning violence, arson, looting and attacks on people and public buildings amid ongoing riots in France. 'The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental right in all democratic countries, and it must be protected,' EC spokesperson Markus Lammert said at a briefing in Brussels. He called acts of violence, arson, looting and attacks on people or public buildings 'unacceptable' and stressed that the EU supports the efforts of the French authorities to protect people, property and public institutions with full respect for fundamental rights. According to him, law and order is the responsibility of the national authorities, and investigations into the incidents are being conducted at the national level.

Responsibility of online platforms

Another European Commission spokesperson, Thomas Regnier, said that online platforms bear responsibility for possible abuse of their services and algorithms during the riots, in particular for amplifying violence and calls to violence. Referring to the Digital Services Act, he noted that platforms are obliged to assess and mitigate attempts to disseminate or amplify violence online regardless of its origin. Regnier added that the commission maintains close contact with the French authorities and the country's digital services coordinator, and another meeting with French officials was scheduled for Monday evening.

Scale of the riots

The EC statements followed nationwide demonstrations on Saturday, which in a number of French cities were accompanied by violence and looting. According to official figures cited by the publication, about 1,000 law enforcement officers were injured, around 1,500 businesses were attacked, and approximately 2,400 people were detained. Damage from the riots is estimated at several hundred million euros.