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Damage caused by violence and looting during the Yellow Vests protests in France on October 17-18 is expected to cost more than 1 billion euros, according to the French think tank IFRAP.

The estimate comes as human rights groups and trade unions urge lawmakers to drop a bill that would make protesters pay for damage they did not personally cause.

Joint statement and next steps

A joint statement opposing the bill, signed by trade union representatives including French Human Rights League (LDH) president Nathalie Tehio, was published on October 23 in the newspaper Le Monde. It said students faced heavy repression from the start of the high school protests and pointed to a growing number of images showing participants being attacked and injured.

The statement said at least 36 investigations had been opened against police officers over the incidents. "This unfair bill, which seriously violates freedom of demonstration, must be abandoned. Otherwise it will represent a major setback for the rule of law," it said.

The bill has already been approved in the Senate, the upper house of Parliament, and will next be examined by the National Assembly, the lower house. For a bill to pass in France, the National Assembly and the Senate must agree on the same text.

Key takeaways

• IFRAP estimates the cost of the October 17-18 Yellow Vests violence and looting at about 1.1 billion euros.
• About 910 million euros of that is material damage, with roughly 190 million euros in lost business earnings.
• More than 2,500 businesses were damaged, including 1,161 shops badly hit by looting and arson on October 17.
• Rights groups and unions are urging lawmakers to drop a bill that would charge protesters up to 10,000 euros for protest damage.