French Court Rules Blocking Trains and Planes Is Not Protected by Free Speech

The Cour de Cassation upheld fines against activists who disrupted transport to protest accessibility issues for people with disabilities.

The Cour de Cassation, France's highest judicial authority, ruled that blocking transport infrastructure is not justified under freedom of expression laws.
The case involved activists from the Handi-Social group who disrupted train and air traffic in 2018 to highlight inadequate accessibility for people with disabilities in transportation and housing.
The court determined that the activists' actions caused significant disruption to passengers and transport companies, and occurred in restricted-access areas.
While the activists argued that their convictions infringed on their free speech rights, the court found the penalties—fines with partial or full suspension—to be proportionate and appropriate.
Handi-Social plans to escalate the case to the European Court of Human Rights, arguing that the ruling reflects systemic discrimination against people with disabilities.