Sex workers protest New law which makes Prostitution illegal in France

Prostitutes and members of the French union of sex workers in France marched outside the National Assembly building in Paris, France to protest after a new law was passed. This law makes it illegal to pay for sex in France and also penalizes the patronage of prostitutes. The law also makes available €4.8
million per year to help sex workers quit the trade.

This law makes France the 5th European country ( after Sweden, Norway, Iceland and the U.K) in the world to criminalize prostitution. This law which is aimed at eradicating prostitution, has earned support among other French organisations that assist and defend sex workers.

Under the new law, pimping and brothels remain illegal, while it is legal to offer your body for sale but illegal for someone to buy it. Offenders may be fined up to €3,750 (about $4,300) and required to attend classes about the conditions of sex workers.
 The bill’s architect Maud Olivier told AFP:

“This law is essential to ending the idea that it is normal to buy someone’s body.”

"The goal is to diminish [prostitution], protect prostitutes who want to quit, and change mentalities. We will succeed in changing the mentality, but new efforts are needed to raise awareness, to train police officers and magistrates.” 

30,000 prostitutes in France did not share Olivier’s conviction. About 60 demonstrators, including sex workers, protested the new law with  some carrying a sign that read, “Don’t Liberate Me, I’ll Take Care of Myself!”