The French Government has approved a temporary ban that prevents the sale and use of pyrotechnic devices and products for recreational pyrotechnics throughout the national territory until next November 27. The decision responds to the risks to public order linked to demonstrations and blockades in front of institutes and universities in the context of protests over the high cost of living, which have already reached their fifth consecutive weekend.
The restriction appears in a decree signed this Saturday by the prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, and published this Sunday in the Official Journal of the French Republic, so its application is immediate. The rule applies both to French citizens and to foreigners, as well as to businesses and professionals dedicated to the sale of this type of products.
The Executive argues that the measure is necessary to prevent serious incidents linked to the use of these materials during gatherings. According to the decree itself, the aim is “to prevent the risks of serious disruptions to public order” associated with the use of pyrotechnic items in blockades and demonstrations.
The veto includes a single exception for professionals who have the licenses and authorizations required, as well as for public entities. Only these groups will be able to acquire and use the materials included in the list of restricted products drawn up by the French Government.
The protests began in mid-September, when high school students took to the streets in Paris and its suburbs to demand improvements in the conditions of educational centers. After these marches, citizens affected by the rise in prices joined in, along with social movements such as the Chalecos Amarillos.
In several of these gatherings, especially during the first weekends, pyrotechnic devices were used as weapons against Police officers and against other demonstrators, causing serious incidents, with injuries so severe that they have even involved amputations.
This Saturday, about 106,000 people, according to the Ministry of the Interior, and 200,000, according to the organizers, took to the streets of the main French cities on the fifth consecutive day of social protests, in a day that unfolded in a relatively peaceful manner. These figures represent a decline compared to those of the previous Saturday, when the Ministry calculated 146,000 protesters (250,000 according to the conveners).