On 5 December 2020, police officers in Paris deployed tear gas and baton charges to disperse demonstrators after groups of masked protesters fired projectiles at police officers, vandalized shops, set fire to vehicles and burned barricades. A group of protesters also vandalized a bank located on Avenue Gambetta. Thousands of people had gathered at the Place de la République and surrounding streets to protest a bill under debate, which if passed would criminalize the publication of images of police officers with the intent to harm them. According to police officials, approximately 500 anarchists infiltrated what had begun as a peaceful protest march and authorities arrested at least 30 people. Additional demonstrations against the proposed security law also occurred in cities across the country, including Caen, Lille, Lyon and Marseille. Authorities estimated that approximately 52,000 people participated in the nationwide demonstrations.