France’s Senate approved a bill 229-105 that could make people involved in violent groups pay up to 10,000 euros for damage caused by others, including through deductions from family allowances, housing aid, the RSA minimum-income benefit and back-to-school payments. The vote came less than two weeks after cost-of-living protests triggered France’s worst unrest in years, with estimated damage exceeding 1 billion euros, nearly 2,400 arrests in one weekend and thousands of shops looted or damaged. A minimum amount would remain protected for living expenses, while the bill would also allow authorities to seek removal of certain online calls for violence or looting and block web addresses if the content remains available for 24 hours. The measure next goes to the National Assembly, where no bloc has a majority. Supporters say victims should be compensated and taxpayers should not bear the cost, while Amnesty International France and other human rights groups warn that benefit seizures could harm poor families and deter peaceful protest. The proposal forms part of a broader Western European response: Italy introduced parental fines and damage liability for minors, Spain detained people linked to alleged online incitement after unrest in Barcelona, and governments are examining how platforms and algorithms spread calls for violence. Halloween protest calls have been identified in 46 cities across at least nine European countries.