The core of the issue is that the law itself matters less than how the people with big guns behave -- they can choose not to enforce the law or they can break t

The core of the issue is that the law itself matters less than how the people with big guns behave -- they can choose not to enforce the law or they can break the law with impunity, so what matters is what the government / police actually do, and what they actually prevent people from doing. Despite the "bans" on mass protests, the French still protest plenty.