Date: Fri, 29 May 1998 14:44:41 EDT
From: AOLNews@aol.com
Subject: French Curb Private Gun Ownership

French Curb Private Gun Ownership

.c The Associated Press

 PARIS (AP) - Spurred by rising violent crime, France's National Assembly on
Friday approved a law banning most private gun ownership and limiting it to
hunters and collectors.

``It's time to put a stop to individual arms and reaffirm that the state alone
must keep the monopoly on legitimate violence,'' said the author of the bill,
Socialist deputy Bruno Le Roux.

The law, which must be approved by the Senate, passed with votes from the
leftist coalition and over conservative opposition.

It bans ``arms of defense,'' including handguns and rifles except those
licensed for hunting. Anyone buying ammunition must show their hunting
registration.

It remains to be seen how the law will be enforced; it places much of the
burden on vendors to verify and register their customers.

``This law resolves nothing,'' said conservative lawmaker Thierry Mariani.

Le Roux represents the Seine-Saint-Denis suburb, a working class area north of
Paris hard hit by crime. He cited recent gun-related crimes, including the
shooting death of a Rouen merchant and of a high school student in a classroom
in northern France.

AP-NY-05-29-98 1443EDT