Among other things, the new law would make it a criminal offenses to publish images off police officers with intent to cause them harm.

It sparked an outcry among journalists, unions and free speech campaigners.

Sonia Fanaika reports from Paris French documentary The Monopoly of Violence is a hard hitting examination off police brutality in France.

Released earlier this year, the film focuses on the yellow vest protests as well as allegations off police abuse in the suburbs.

Filmmaker David Dufresne relied on footage provided by journalists as well as ordinary citizens posting on social media.

But making a film like this may not be possible in future.

With the French government proposing a new security law, part of which cracks down on the broadcast and sharing of images off police officers.

Different says the law erodes basic freedoms on puts Frantz on a slippery slope.

Police violence has existed in France for decades, especially in the suburbs.

Today it's well documented, it's filmed social media allows for the easy broadcasting of these videos.

What lawmakers want to do is stop the circulation off these images on.

At that point, you're not in a democracy anymore.

The French parliament has been debating the controversial law.

One of its provisions stipulates jail time and a fine off more than $50,000 for anyone broadcasting or sharing identifiable images off police officers with the intention off harming them.

It sparked large demonstrations here in Paris, as well as in several other French cities.

Journalist unions and rights groups are up in arms, saying that recording officers and action is essential to being able to condemn and curb the actions off violent officers.

Many believe the law, which applies to board journalists and citizens, will lead to a sense of impunity of police at demonstrations that often turn violent.

E no friends who are really scared to go to demonstrations because of the violence.

The rubber bullets on the tear gas used by police on the one thing that protects us is taking a video.

The law wants to protect police officers so that they can hit people without consequences.

Journalists have been hit and injured by police, especially in the last couple of years, and until now the police version of events could be questioned.

Thanks to images and videos.

Campaigners here fear that the new security law could have a chilling effect on press freedom.

They say that if citizens and journalists are dissuaded from filming the police, it may make it harder to hold certain officers to account.

The French government, however, says the law is necessary to protect police officers in the line of duty.

The country's largest police union, which had been pushing for the law, agrees with the government.

Darted Olivier Brevity says Indiscriminate Posting off images of officers, especially on social media, has led to a dangerous backlash Today.

Several of our colleagues are victims of harassment.

They or their families have threatened in certain low income neighborhoods, even find walls with the names of police officers saying that their daughter or the wife would be raped.

It's completely unacceptable.

The new law can protect and put a stop to this.

Uh huh.

Recent terror attacks and growing unrest of protests have prompted the French government to take a harder line on security, But the proposed law is only expected to deepen divisions and fan further mistrust between the police and the public.

Yeah, D W.

Sonia Phallic are filed.

This report is joining us now from Paris.

Sonia, why is this law being proposed right now?

Well, I think the current atmosphere in France certainly plays a role.

You know, the recent terror attacks, growing unrest, demonstrations.

All that is certainly prompted the government to take a tougher line on security.

But there are also commentators here who say, you know, domestic politics also plays a role.

They say, you know, President Macron's tougher stance and security is an attempt to appeal to voters on the right ahead of the next presidential election, which takes place less than a year and a half away.

But I think more broadly, the French government has defended this bill and said that, you know, restrictions and images on police officers are necessary in order to protect officers as well as their families from being targeted in online campaigns.

Well, just to make this clear, this bill would make it a crime to circulate an image off a police officer with the intention that they be harmed.

But who decides if the intention was to harm someone well together?

That that is exactly the problem, you know, rights groups here and that includes France's own human rights watchdog have said that this particular clause in the bill, Article 24 that you mentioned this is very, very problematic because it's vague.

It's open to interpretation and very difficult to prove, because the question is really how courts will determine whether you know images were posted with the with intent to cause harm.

So I think this is problematic and there are fears that this could be, you know, open to abuse.

And ultimately this may make it harder for journalists to cover protests and demonstrations.

But to be clear, I mean, this is not only about journalists, you know, the bill applies to citizens to, and there are experts here in France who say that you know video footage which is very often filmed by passersby and posted on social media before the mainstream media reports on it has also led in the past two cases of police brutality coming to the fore, and there are concerns here that this may not be possible anymore.

Once the new law is passed well, MPs are scheduled to vote on this bill as a whole on Tuesday.

It will then go to the Senate.

That's fronts upper house.

What can we expect?

Will it pass?

Well, you know, last week we saw a very heated debate in the French parliament over this bill.

There were lawmakers were divided on it, especially MPs from, you know, left and centrist parties who were really concerned about the impact off this particular clause on press freedom.

But that article was eventually approved after a statement was added that it would guarantee, you know, kind of the right to inform.

But I think all this has not been really enough to ease the concerns off campaigners here.

And I think we are likely to see, you know, further protests against this proposed legislation in Paris as well as another French cities D W sold Sonia Funny car reporting from Paris.

Thank you, Sonia.

Thank you.