Making innocent protesters liable for damage would be bad for rule of law and play into far-right hands, say opponents Emmanuel Macron has been accused by trade unions of trying to curb the fundamental French right to protest as the government fast-tracks a bill to make protesters pay for damage caused by vandalism at street demonstrations even if they did not directly cause it themselves.

Also readAustralia politics live: MPs to pay tribute to Helen Haines as parliament resumes; Hanson says One Nation cartoons ‘not going anywhere’

The French president, who leaves office next spring, has faced more than a month of protests in which high-school students have blockaded schools demanding a response to teacher absences, repairs to decrepit buildings and changes to the university applications platform.