France’s Senate has passed a controversial bill that could make protesters financially liable for damage caused during street demonstrations, drawing criticism from rights groups and left-wing lawmakers who warn it could undermine the freedom to protest.

The bill was passed on Wednesday by 229 votes to 105, with support from a right-wing and centrist alliance that holds a majority in the upper chamber. It has now been forwarded to the National Assembly for debate and a vote.

The legislation was initially drafted following riots that erupted after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League final in May. However, it has gained renewed significance after weeks of protests over inequality and rising prices culminated in widespread violence on October 17, leaving thousands of businesses damaged and looted across France.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told senators that urgent action was needed to address the destruction and disorder.

“We can no longer allow the vast majority of our fellow citizens to pay for a minority of vandals,” he said.

Under the proposed law, individuals could be ordered to pay up to €10,000 for damage associated with street demonstrations.

The bill also introduces joint financial liability for anyone found to have knowingly participated in a group formed with the intention of committing vandalism. It could also apply to individuals who voluntarily remain at a gathering likely to disrupt public order after police issue two warnings to disperse.

Critics argue that the provisions could expose people who did not personally engage in vandalism to financial penalties simply because they were associated with those responsible.

The legislation would also allow authorities to seize welfare benefits and housing assistance to cover the cost of damage. During its second reading, senators expanded the measure to include other social benefits, such as family supplements, back-to-school allowances and employment bonuses.

The proposals have drawn strong opposition from left-wing parties and civil liberties groups.

Left-wing lawmakers accused the government of an “authoritarian drift” that threatens the right to demonstrate. Communist senator Fabien Gay described the bill as a “legal travesty that deliberately conflates protesters and rioters”, while Green senator Melanie Vogel accused the government of responding to social demands with “collective punishment”.

Olivier Bitz of the centre-right Horizons party defended the need for clarity, saying the government must avoid giving the impression that the legislation would criminalise passers-by or peaceful demonstrators.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whom opinion polls place as a frontrunner to succeed President Emmanuel Macron in next spring’s presidential election, has backed the legislation.

The government has also proposed banning individuals considered the most violent from participating in demonstrations.

In a separate measure approved late Tuesday, the Senate backed a bill allowing authorities to demand the rapid removal of social media content calling for “insurrection or taking up arms against the state”.

Nunez said the measure was intended to address online calls for insurrection, including those allegedly circulating ahead of the following Saturday. Under the proposal, social media platforms would have 24 hours to remove such content or risk being blocked or delisted.

Opposition to the measures has extended beyond parliament. In an opinion article published last week in French newspaper Le Monde, a coalition of trade unions and student groups warned that the proposals represented a “serious infringement on the freedom to demonstrate”.

The groups argued that the measures could disproportionately affect poorer households and encourage arbitrary police action.

Amnesty International has also urged the government to abandon the bill, warning that it could push already vulnerable families further into poverty.

“If passed, this bill would be a deeply regressive step,” Nathalie Godard of Amnesty International France said on Monday.

“Seizing family allowances, housing assistance, or the active solidarity income could have disastrous consequences for some of the most vulnerable people.”

The bill must still be considered by the National Assembly before it can become law.