France´s parliament approves new anti-terror law

The law will undermine civil liberties but has the broad backing from a public traumatised by terrorist attacks

By
AFP
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A soldier shot the suspect dead after he had stabbed two women to death at Marseille main train station on Sunday. Photo: Reuters
 

PARIS: France´s lower house of parliament overwhelmingly approved a new counter-terrorism law on Tuesday, making permanent several controversial measures under the state of emergency that has been in place for nearly two years.

The law was approved by 415 votes to 127, with 19 abstentions, at its first reading, despite criticism that it will undermine civil liberties but with broad backing from a public traumatised by a string of terrorist attacks.