Bill Targeting ‘Yellow Vest’ ‘Hooligans’ Ignites French Freedom Debate

Bill Targeting ‘Yellow Vest’ ‘Hooligans’ Ignites French Freedom Debate
Protesters wearing yellow vests in a demonstration in Marseille, France, on Jan. 26, 2019. Reuters/Jean-Paul Pelissier/File Photo
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PARIS—French lawmakers have backed a bill that will ban protesters from hiding their faces during demonstrations, reinforcing President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to push back against violent members of the “yellow vest” movement.

The bill, which is expected to secure approval next week, also grants police greater powers to extract potential trouble-makers from demonstrations.