Thousands march in the Paris rain to protest against the state of emergency

Opponents to plans to strip citizenship of dual-nationals convicted of terrorism fear it will feed racism

Thousands of protesters marched in the Paris rain to call on the French government to end the state of emergency (PA)

Thousands of people took to the streets in the Paris rain to protest against government plans to renew the country's state of emergency.

Nearly 20,000 people marched through the French capital on Saturday prompted by collectives of trade unions, charities and human rights actvities.

Chanting "We will not give in" and "Stop the emergency state", they called for an end to the special measures implemented after the Paris attacks in November in which 130 people were killed by Isis terrorists.

Local authorities reported 5,500 people joined the march.

Across France, thousands of people demonstrated in more than 70 different organised protests.

The proposals will give more power to the police and administrative authorities to conduct searches without warrants and house arrests.

(PA)

The current state of emergency was due to expire on February 26, but the French government's cabinet, which meets on Wednesday, is expected to propose the special measures are prolonged further - with no set end-date.

This comes after a ruling from the French high court upheld the special measures because the danger "has not disappeared".

France's justice minister, Christiane Taubira, which actively defended gay marriage laws in France, also resigned last week, over her opposition to President Francois Hollande's plans to revoke citizenship for dual national convicted of terrorism.

Opponents to the plans argue the measure will feed racism and create a divide btween citizens, as many dual nationals are Muslims.

Protesters also called on the government to put an end to "the repression and stigmatisation" of activitis, migrants, Muslims and people from underprivileged areas.

Since the start of the state of emergency last November, about 3,000 unwarranted searches were carried out and many targetted political activists and people suspected of being Islamist, reports the French newspaper Liberation.

Noel Mamere, a member of the French National Assembly and former member of the Green Party, said the state of emergency lays the foundations for "a society under surveillance."