Image Credit: LEON NEAL / Contributor / Getty 
As lawmakers prepare to vote on the introduction of euthanasia and assisted suicide in France, protesters gathered on the evening of Tuesday, February 24th, in front of the National Assembly to peacefully protest what they consider to be a major anthropological upheaval for society. They were subjected to disproportionate police repression, with nearly 40 arrests.
The call for a spontaneous gathering was launched by Les Veilleurs, a pacifist movement that emerged during the mobilisation against gay marriage in 2013. At the time, it stood out for its peaceful protests: small numbers, no violent slogans, no militant marches, but simply candlelit gatherings to read texts borrowed from philosophy, religion, or literature celebrating life. Today, Les Veilleurs are peacefully opposing the legalisation of euthanasia. “They have a very original mode of action: they set up in a place, read texts, sing, and try to talk to passersby,” explains Jean Bexon, a journalist from Boulevard Voltaire, who was present at the scene.
A first gathering was held on Monday, February 23rd, just nearby, at Place de la Concorde, without provoking any major reactions. The gathering on February 24th, scheduled for 8 p.m., was, however, considered an unauthorised demonstration in a public place and surrounded by law enforcement, even though it did not block traffic. One protester described the security measures as “ludicrous,” with more police than protesters. As a sign of this disproportion, the BRAV-M—the motorised violent action repression brigade—was dispatched to the scene. This is an emergency unit set up in 2019 to respond to violence in the context of the yellow vest movement. Since its creation, the unit has been widely criticised in France and internationally for its excesses and use of violence. The BRAV-M seized a banner bearing a quote from the Catholic poet Charles Péguy.
Of the 50 or so participants, 37 were arrested and taken into custody at four Paris police stations, all in record time—a speed of action that was far from evident in the case of the murderers of young Quentin in Lyon a few days ago.
The police custody, which was supposed to last 24 hours, was finally lifted after a few hours for 35 of them, thanks to the intervention of two members of parliament. They are to be summoned again at a later date. According to the testimony of one of those arrested, posted on the Catholic blog Le Salon beige, the police officers were very considerate toward the demonstrators, obeying orders that they clearly did not approve of. Two are still in custody and are to be brought before a prosecutor.
