France approved new anti-terror laws on the 31st.
The French parliament passed the anti-terrorism bill a few days after a knifeman killed two women in Marseille. The bill, which is being hailed by some as “highly controversial” was approved by 415 votes to 127.
According to Reuter's Richard Lough, the new law will end France’s nearly two-year-long state of emergency by making certain factors of the emergency state into law. Lough reports the bill has been met with little resistance by the French Public, however Human Rights Watch has called it “abusive” for cementing some of the measures of the state of emergency into law.
Among these are allowances which will give power to the government to shut down mosques and other centers of worship if the religious leaders are believed to be inciting violence or justifying acts of terrorism.
The legislation will also allow members of the government to confine certain members of the public to their home towns and will require them to report to the police once a day. As well, “The authorities will be allowed to mount security perimeters around places deemed at risk” which will allow people and vehicles to be searched.
There has been over fifteen fatal terror attacks in France since the Toulouse and Montauban shootings in which a man by the name of Mohammed Mera killed seven people over the course of three non-consecutive days in March. The state of emergency went into effect after the Paris Attacks took place in November of 2015.
