France moves to make rioters pay through family welfare benefit

France is looking to make accountable those involved in violent protests pay for the damage they cause, with a proposed law that would allow authorities to recover compensation from welfare payments, including housing aid and family allowances.

The French Senate approved the measure by 229 votes to 105 this week, less than two weeks after cost-of-living protests spiralled into some of the country's worst unrest in years.

The violence left behind damage estimated at more than 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion). Nearly 2,400 people were arrested over a single weekend, thousands of shops were looted or damaged, and a fire gutted the 19th-century city hall in Limoges.


France is not alone in seeking tougher measures. Across parts of Western Europe, governments are increasingly looking at ways to hold rioters accountable, with some extending responsibility to parents and social media platforms accused of enabling violence.

Authorities argue that victims should be compensated and those responsible should bear the cost. Critics, however, fear the measures could end up punishing families who had no role in the violence while also discouraging people from joining peaceful demonstrations.

France wants rioters to pay for the damage

Under the proposed French law, people who knowingly join a group preparing to commit violence could be required to pay up to 10,000 euros ($11,200) towards damage caused by others.

The provision would also apply to those who remain with a violent crowd after police have ordered it to disperse, making them potentially liable for damage caused thereafter.

But getting offenders to pay has been a challenge. Many have little income, while certain welfare payments are currently protected from seizure.

The new legislation seeks to change that.

Once a court ruling becomes final, authorities would be able to deduct compensation from family benefits and housing assistance. The Senate has also brought France's minimum-income benefit, known as the RSA, within the scope of the proposal.

The RSA provides up to around 650 euros ($730) a month for a single person. Back-to-school allowances, intended to help families buy children's school supplies, could also be subject to deductions. A minimum amount would still be protected to cover basic living expenses.

Communist Senator Fabien Gay questioned how effective such recoveries would be, citing the example of a household receiving RSA benefits.

If 57 euros ($63) were deducted every month, he said, it would take nearly 15 years to recover 10,000 euros.

Those backing the bill argue that victims of vandalism should not be left to absorb the losses, nor should taxpayers have to cover the damage.

The costs can be substantial. Replacing a large shop window alone can run into tens of thousands of euros. Following the 2023 riots, insurers paid out 793 million euros ($888 million) across 16,400 claims, according to industry federation France Assureurs.

Human rights groups see another side to the proposal.

They warn that deductions from welfare benefits could hit poorer households hardest, including family members who may have had no involvement in the unrest.

Nathalie Godard of Amnesty International France said seizing such payments could have "disastrous consequences for the poorest".

The bill, supported by the far right in the conservative-led Senate, will now go to the National Assembly, where no political bloc has a majority.

The idea of recovering riot-related damages through welfare payments has long been championed by Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally party.

Calls for protests spread across Europe

The debate comes as European authorities grapple with another concern: the growing use of social media to organise gatherings that can turn violent.

Spanish fact-checking organisation Maldita.es has identified calls for Halloween protests in 46 cities across at least nine European countries. Some of the messages reportedly encouraged looting.

In Barcelona, TikTok posts using the French word "blocus", commonly associated with protests involving the blocking of schools, urged people to gather at Catalonia Square on October 24.

QR codes circulating online directed users to WhatsApp and Telegram groups, according to Catalonia's interior chief Núria Parlon, who spoke to Cadena SER radio.

The gathering was presented as an education protest. But Parlon said there was no planned route, no banners and no manifesto.

Instead, groups of 10 to 15 young men allegedly went on to loot shops, set rubbish containers on fire and damage bus stops.

Police made 130 arrests, including 76 minors, Spanish news agency EFE reported.

Some social media accounts that had promoted the gathering later disappeared. Others shifted their attention to advertising Halloween protests.

Messages circulating in one Telegram group reportedly instructed participants to wear masks and gloves and wait for directions identifying shops where police were absent.

Italy turns to parents to curb vandalism

Italy, meanwhile, is taking a different approach by placing greater responsibility on parents when minors are involved in violence.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced a security decree on October 20 following looting in Milan, invoking the principle "Chi rompe paga", meaning "you break it, you pay".

Under the provisions, parents could face fines of up to 1,000 euros, rising to twice that amount for repeat offences, unless they can demonstrate that they were unable to prevent their children's actions.

They could also be held liable for damage caused by their children.

The thinking behind the measure is that parents should bear some responsibility when minors engage in vandalism. Whether financial penalties will actually prevent such incidents, however, remains open to debate.

Claudio Bertolotti, director of security research firm START InSight, said parental accountability could have a role, but fines alone were unlikely to discourage teenagers driven by peer pressure or the desire to gain recognition within a group.

Italy has also introduced prison sentences ranging from four to 12 years for organising violence during protests, including through online platforms.

Social media platforms face growing scrutiny

Governments are also turning their attention to the online networks through which calls for violence and looting are being circulated.

Parlon has called on Telegram and WhatsApp to shut down channels that encourage violent activities.

Telegram spokesperson Remi Vaughn said the platform supports peaceful expression and protests but does not permit calls for violence, vandalism or theft. Such content is removed when identified, she said.

Telegram reportedly closed a Barcelona group promoting Halloween-related looting. But the problem did not end there. A replacement group attracted more than 2,000 members, according to Spanish media reports.

TikTok and Meta, which owns WhatsApp, did not respond to requests for comment.

France's proposed legislation would give authorities greater powers to act against certain illegal online calls for violence or looting.

Officials could seek the removal of such content without first obtaining court approval. If it remained accessible after 24 hours, authorities could order the relevant web addresses to be blocked. Those decisions could still be challenged in court.

The approach differs from that in the United States, where existing legislation generally protects online platforms from civil liability for content posted by users. The Trump administration has criticised European regulations, describing them as censorship.

Britain has faced similar questions over the role of online content in fuelling violence.

Following the killing of three girls in Southport in 2024, false claims circulated widely on social media and were followed by riots. A parliamentary committee later found that algorithms had helped amplify harmful content, much of which was not illegal.

For European governments, the challenge now goes beyond dealing with violence on the streets. They are also trying to determine who should pay for the damage, how far responsibility should extend and what role online platforms should play in preventing unrest.

But as these measures come into effect, the debate is likely to centre on where governments draw the line between holding offenders accountable and protecting the rights of people who have committed no offence.