PARIS, France – A controversial bill that would presume police officers acted in self-defense when using firearms is facing widespread backlash across France, with activists and victims' families warning it could deepen impunity. The proposed law, which shifts the burden of proof to complainants, comes amid heightened scrutiny of police tactics.

Issam El Khalfaoui, whose 19-year-old son Souhail was killed by police in 2021 during a traffic stop in Marseille, stated that the draft law would make it "impossible" to refute the presumption of self-defense. El Khalfaoui, who co-founded the advocacy group Stop State Violence (SAVE), described the difficulty his family faced in uncovering the truth about his son's death, citing lost evidence and un-interviewed witnesses.

France has one of the highest rates of fatal police shootings in Western Europe. In 2024, at least 69 people were killed by police or gendarmerie officers, an increase from 49 in 2023 and 50 in 2022. Recent incidents during education protests, where a 15-year-old lost a hand to a stun grenade and a 14-year-old suffered a shattered jaw from a tear gas canister, have further intensified the debate over police conduct.

The proposed legislation, which was approved by the National Assembly in July, would require officers and gendarmes to be presumed to have acted in self-defense if they used weapons in the line of duty. Critics have denounced the measure as a "licence to kill," arguing it undermines accountability and could embolden police misconduct.

El Khalfaoui's petition against the draft law garnered over 700,000 signatures. He believes there has been a "seizure of power by police unions" in France, leading to a "militarisation of the police that has no equivalent in Europe."

Several human rights organizations, including SAVE, the Human Rights League (LDH), and Amnesty International, along with left-wing lawmakers, have organized protests in major cities like Paris, Marseille, Lyon, and Toulouse. These demonstrations, demanding better accountability for police actions, drew nearly 50,000 people on September 20.

The IGPN, France's national police watchdog, is investigating the circumstances surrounding Souhail El Khalfaoui's death, a process his father described as fraught with obstruction. The loss of video evidence and the alleged failure to interview key witnesses have fueled suspicions of a cover-up.

The ongoing protests and the passionate opposition from victims' families and rights groups highlight a deep societal divide regarding trust in law enforcement and the appropriate use of force. The Senate's upcoming vote on the proposed firearms law is expected to be a critical juncture in this contentious debate.